Sport

Former world champions honoured at Main Bout Promotions tournament

South African boxing icons receive glove trophies during a celebratory night ringside at Event City

1 hour ago

Tobie van den Bergh 1 minute read

Two men stand side by side, each holding a trophy, smiling proudly at the camera. — Former WBF World Lightweight champion Ditau ‘Diarora’ Molefyane and Lawrence Ngobeni. PHOTO: Tobie van den Bergh

Former world boxing champions and ring legends were honoured at the Main Bout Promotions tournament at Event City on Saturday, August 29.

Main Bout promotions director Megan Pieterse and veteran South African boxing referee Ishmail Koali. Photo: Tobie van den Bergh

Steven Pieterse and Hekkie ‘The Hexecutioner’ Budler. PHOTO: Tobie van den Bergh

The honourees were called to the ring, where each received a trophy in the form of a boxing glove.

Main Bout director Lesego Mashego hands over a trophy to world-renowned referee Jaap van Niewenhuizen. Photo: Tobie van den Bergh

Honoured boxing icons

Witbanker Lawrence ‘Superbad’ Ngobeni, a popular former WBC international lightweight champion.
Ishmail Koali, also from eMalahleni, is a veteran South African boxing referee, judge and ring official recognised internationally by the African Boxing Union and World Boxing Council.

Megan Pieterse handing over a trophy at the big boxing tournament at Event City. PHOTO: Tobie van den Bergh

Ditau ‘Diarora’ Molefyane, a former WBF world lightweight champion.
Jaap van Niewenhuizen, a world-renowned referee.

A special evening with great fights and honouring boxing legends. PHOTO: Tobie van den Bergh

Steven Pieterse from Middelburg, a legendary boxing trainer.
Jan Bergman, a former WBU world welterweight and WBC international junior welterweight champion.

Jan Bergman, former WBU world welterweight and WBC international junior welterweight champion. PHOTO: Tobie van den Bergh

Hekkie ‘Hexecutioner’ Budler, a former World Boxing Association and International Boxing Organisation minimumweight champion, and unified WBA (Super), International Boxing Federation and Ring Magazine lightweight title holder in 2018.

Lawrence ‘Superbad’ Ngobeni. PHOTO: Tobie van den Bergh

Hekkie ‘The Hexecutioner’ Budler. PHOTO: Tobie van den Bergh

Legendary boxing trainer Steven Pieterse in the ring. PHOTO: Tobie van den Bergh

At Caxton, every story is written by humans. We use AI only to perform quality checks - never to generate the news. Happy reading!

1 hour ago

Tobie van den Bergh 1 minute read

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Tobie van den Bergh

Tobie started as a journalist in September 1975. He was appointed editor of the Middelburg Observer in 1982 where he worked until he retired in 2024. He received numerous awards, is a founding member of the Forum for Community Newspapers and has published two books about his work. Although retired, Tobie is still very much involved in community journalism.