The Wits Boxing Club champions reigned in the new year with a stellar performance and some silverware.
The Wits boxers dealt huge blows to their competitors at the 2024 University Sport South Africa (USSA) tournament with two Wits starlets, Sibongakonke Ndlovu and Sonwabo Zolani collecting silver medals in their respective competitions. The journey to the top is no easy feat, but the Wits Boxing Club has made it their mission to reach that peak, and in 2024, they showed that they could.
2023 marked the first time that the Wits Boxing Club participated in the USSAs since 2015, a commendable achievement. However, in 2024, the team found some victories. One such victory is the returning champion, Sibongakonke Ndlovu, and his second-place finish at the tournament.
“Going back to the USSAs was a really great experience since that is the main tournament that we prepare for during the course of the year. Especially returning as the defending champion for the 63kg Division,” he said about his experience at last year’s games.
Ndlovu has been boxing for five years and initially took up the hobby to defend himself and build confidence. Like every other Wits student athlete, Ndlovu needs to find the balance between his sport and his academics, and he has seemingly found that sweet spot, currently studying for his third year in Geological Science.
“I believe the biggest challenge was trying to get everyone into training in November. Being a student athlete is quite difficult, having to juggle sports and exams, especially with the tournament being the first week of December,” said Shamaine Shungube, the team manager for the Wits Boxing Club.
Despite this, the club was committed to getting stellar results, and they committed themselves wholly to achieving them. Ndlovu said, “We had a camp that focused mainly on preparation for the USSAs in November after we had written all our exams.”
At this camp, the athletes trained daily, participating in strength and conditioning training on Monday and Wednesday mornings, and running 10km on the remaining days.
Alongside the students, team manager Shungube also saw success after winning the “Best National Manager” trophy at the 2024 USSAs. “It was such a wholesome moment for the love I have for this club to be recognised,” she said of her feelings after winning the award.
Shungube has been officially managing the team for almost three years, juggling a million hats as the glue that keeps the team strong. Her commitment to the team and her athletes is quickly seen through the quality of the squad.
Ultimately, the Wits Boxing Club has proven itself to be a worthy contender in university competitions, with the athletes making steady progress. The team hopes to continue this upward trajectory and foster growth for many more athletes over the next year.
Firing Up the Wits Football Spirit
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The football frenzy was alive at last year’s USSA as the Wits football teams proved to be a force to be reckoned with throughout the tournament.
The Wits Ladies football team made a splash with a qualification for the University Sports South Africa tournament, placing eighth in the tournament which secured their 5th appearance in the Varsity Football competition. The Wits Male Football team played exceptionally well at the 2024 USSA tournament, coming home with a glimmering bronze to seal the deal.
This victory comes after two years in which the team did not qualify for the tournament, making their third place finish much sweeter. The team prepared themselves for this fierce competition months in advance and they reaped the rewards of their efforts.
Langelihle Biyela, the Wits Male football Team Manager, expressed his pride and excitement at the achievements of this young team. He mentioned the goals they are hoping to achieve at the end of the new year, “We want to win the Varsity Cup this year, we also want to win USSA at the end of the year.” And now, that seems more likely than ever.
Biyela has been voluntarily assisting the team since 2021, but officially gained the team manager title in October 2024, making this team victory a warm welcome. As a result of leading the team to success, Biyela received an award for the ‘2024 Best University Football Team Manager’.
“I didn’t expect it. It was such an amazing feeling. It just felt like a gift from God.” His contributions to the team did not go unnoticed, leaving them with an exciting turn of events.
Langelihle Biyela - Wits Male Football Team Manager
The ladies football team’s performance was also a stellar showcase of footballing talent. The team enjoyed an USSA qualification and marked their position as top contenders, finishing the group stages unbeaten and placed eighth in the tournament.
Mosetsana Losaba, the Wits Football Women’s 1st Team Manager, stated that the team prepared 3-4 months before the start of the tournament and participated in the GSW Football tournament by SAFA to be ready for the challenge. “This worked out quite well for the technical team, especially the coaches, to see how ready the ladies were to reach the mandate given.”
Losaba shared her thoughts on the team’s future, “God willing, our goal is to reach the Sasol League playoffs and get a promotion to the HollywoodBets League, which would be an amazing achievement for women’s football within the institution.”
The team has achieved a lot and sets out to achieve even more, and with their upward trajectory, that outcome seems more and more likely.
This is a show of the quality and strength of the Wits football teams and their commitment to showcasing courage and excellence whenever possible.
The Lady Bucks Bring Home the Gold!
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The Wits Women’s Basketball team was a force to be reckoned with at the 2024 USSA tournament and they made their presence known.
The Lady Bucks had an exciting USSA campaign in 2024, placing first and taking home gold to fill the hearts of the Wits community with pride. The Lady Bucks walked into the USSAs with a point to prove and they made sure to settle the score. They completed the tournament with a first-place victory and a player crowned the MVP of the tournament, Chineye Eneanya.
The team spent months preparing to hone their skills and ensure that they made the most of their time at the competition, which proved to be a fruitful exercise. “Our main focus was on redeeming ourselves from the previous year’s performance. It was important for us to push ourselves not just physically but also mentally.” Said Natash Dobah, the Wits Lady Bucks team manager for the 2024 USSA Basketball Tournament.
Dobah was fairly new to the role, before her appointment she was a small forward and a power forward for the Lady Bucks. With the inevitable challenges that came with competing, her experience as a player created new dimensions for her ability to understand and sympathise with her team as the new team manager. “The greatest challenge we overcame was achieving collective mental toughness—being on the same page, going the extra mile, and wanting it more than anyone else.”
The team displayed cutthroat resilience and a sheer drive to win, and they took action on that goal. The squad saw a dominating 60-point victory against NWU Vaal in their first game and that set the tone for the remainder of the competition where they continuously outclassed their competitors.
In addition to the stellar team performance, Eneanya was awarded the All-Star player and MVP of the tournament, a well-earned feat. “It was a very vindicating moment. It really emphasized how all of the work, the running, tears, the injuries, it was all worth it in the end. That all my own hard work was recognised and that I was showing the effort that I wanted to display to everyone. It was so gratifying and I'm so grateful that I was given MVP.” She said about her achievements at the USSA tournament.
Eneanya not only made MVP for the tournament, but she also received a call-up to participate in the South African national women’s basketball team.
Dobah stated that the team intends to defend their title in this year’s tournament, “As defending champions, the stakes are higher, and we have a target on our backs. The pressure is definitely on. Most importantly, we must remain a strong, united team, ready to overcome any challenges that come our way.”
All of these achievements showcase the dedication, passion, and love that the team has for their sport. It is clear that even more achievements lie in their futures.
Witsies hit the ground running
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The Night Run was a memorable evening that set the year off with a bang!
The energy was electric at the Wits Sport Night Run, an annual 5km running event that brings student athletes of all levels together to shed the pre-academic year stresses. The exciting event was held at the Wits Club on West Campus. The crowd was filled with first-year students, postgraduate students, staff and alumni, who all braced themselves for the excitement of the race.
First-year students and twin sisters Demi and Dami, shared their enthusiasm to participate in their first official university event. “It’s very inclusive and it’s extremely important. Even if you don’t walk you can still engage with people, especially if you’re a first-year student, you can socialise and get sparked up in the passion of wanting to do something athletic.” Dami shared about the importance of these events.
Sports play an integral part in fostering community and bringing people together; the Wits Run is no different. It was a perfect opportunity for young and old students to get together and socialise, opening the door to creating friendships and stepping outside of people’s comfort zones.
The event kicked off to cheers and shouts of excitement, as music blasted, and the athletes set off. Everyone had different approaches to the race, but they all set their hearts on making it to the end. The strong start was met shortly after with a torrent of rain, but the spirits remained high.
The runners enthusiastically fought their way through the preset running path until the first person crossed the finish line in under 30 minutes. Kyle Broom finished the run in the lead. He ran at this event for the first time on Thursday, and he is eager to do it again after his successful finish. “It feels good to win… it feels lekker. It’s my first time but I’ll do it every year now.”
Like Broom, many of the runners were experiencing the run for the first time. But this was not the case for the first-place female runner, Carli Bramley. Bramley placed first for the women in Thursday’s run, after placing second and third in previous years. “It felt really good finishing in the top 3. I’ve done the Wits night run twice before where I came 3rd and 2nd, so I was quite eager to try to place 1st in this year's run, especially because it will be my last run before, I graduate!” She shared about her experience.
The sponsorships by Aquelle and Campus Central were important parts of the event that helped to create a successful experience for everyone involved. Wits Sports would like to extend our thanks to our sponsors who made the run possible.
Ultimately everything went as planned, and despite the sudden change in the weather and the unfaltering thunderstorm, the Wits Night Run ended successfully and made certain of its ability to bring people together and create an exciting start to a busy year.
