Resident hounds his way to victory
"The two dogs have never disappointed me. I am known countrywide because of them. I am challenging anyone interested to come and compete with me. We can even put R25 000 and see who will be a victor, trust me I won't lose," the proud sport fanatic said.
STEELPOORT – Dog racing is a rare sport in Limpopo, but local business tycoon, Mr George Mabuza (63) wants to change that.
He started racing at the age of six and today he believes he’s one of the best in this sport. “I grew up in a family who loves dogs so it was not a surprise when I fell for the sport. I take my dogs to a vet every month, and I feed them well,” he says.
Mabuza recently won a dog-racing competition in Polokwane with two of his fast greyhounds named Champion and Bless.
“The two dogs have never disappointed me. I am known countrywide because of them. I am challenging anyone interested to come and compete with me. We can even put R25 000 and see who will be a victor, trust me I won’t lose,” the proud sport fanatic said.
At this juncture, Mabuza owns more than 20 greyhounds which he said he had bought abroad. He aims to do roadshows and seminars all over Tubatse in order to promote the sport.
He also pleaded with the government to legalise it, as he says it causes no harm.
The sport has long been associated with gambling, which is why it was banned more than 47 years ago for being an immoral pastime.
When other forms of gambling were unbanned under the new government, greyhound racing was not.
Greyhound racing is an organised, competitive industry in which greyhound dogs are raced around a track.
They chase a lure (traditionally an artificial hare or rabbit) on a track until the greyhounds cross the finish line.
As with horse racing, greyhound races often allow the public to wager on the outcome.
In certain countries (particularly Australia, Ireland, Macau, Mexico, Spain, the UK and the US), greyhound racing is part of the gambling industry, similar to although far less profitable than horse racing. There is some concern in regarding the well-being of the dogs, the effectiveness of industry efforts to address these concerns is a topic of some debate.
Scource: Wikipedia
