Mthalane retains title after anthem mishap
SA world champion leaves opponent's face in a mess
Moruti Mthalane was unfazed when the old SA anthem was played before his world title defence against Masayuki Kuroda in Tokyo on Monday. Instead of the strains of Nkosi Sikelel ‘iAfrika drifting into the arena‚ the old apartheid-drenched paean‚ The Call of SA‚ or Die Stem as it was better known back in the day‚ gatecrashed the auditory senses. “I wasn’t surprised‚” said Mthalane. “My mind was on the fight‚ I was ready for anything.” Mthalane and Kuroda stood toe to toe for most of the 12 rounds‚ with the South African producing a strong finish to clinch a unanimous decision and retain his IBF flyweight crown. “I just found that bizarre‚” Mthalane’s trainer and manager‚ Colin Nathan‚ said of the anthem botch-up. “I thought that was poor form.” One has to wonder where the Japanese found the soundtrack considering that they were among the many nations who boycotted SA in the sports arena during apartheid. The mistake was reminiscent of when Johnny du Plooy fought Italian Francesco Dami...
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