Siphathisiwe Mpofu |  1 year ago | local

LEGENDARY boxing trainer Philip ‘Striker’ Ndlovu has died.

He was 66.

Ndlovu succumbed to prostate cancer at his Ejingeni Flat in Makokoba suburb, Bulawayo in the early hours of Thursday morning.

His niece Sikhangezile Ndlovu confirmed Striker’s death, saying the boxing coach’s condition had severely deteriorated.

“Ukhulu (Ndlovu) has passed on. He died at home in Makokoba this morning. The day before yesterday (Tuesday), he fell hard, hitting his head on the floor and had to be rushed to hospital where he was attended to and released. Yesterday his condition rapidly deteriorated and he was failing to eat,” said Sikhangezile.

It was unusual because even when he was in pain during his illness, he ate on his own. My uncle is at rest now because he was in so much pain and suffered a lot,” he said.

Ndlovu suffered from stage five prostate cancer and was on medication just to ease the pain.

The former Tshaka Youth Centre trainer was first diagnosed with prostate cancer at the beginning of 2020 and his condition deteriorated rapidly, leaving him bedridden after he failed to raise US$3 000 required for a trans-urethral resection of the prostate (Turp) operation procedure to remove parts of the prostate pressing on the urethra, making it hard to pass urine.

In his prime, Ndlovu identified and trained a number of Bulawayo boxers, who include former World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan African cheavyweight champion Thamsanqa Dube and ex-World Boxing Federation (WBF) Africa heavyweight title holder Elvis ‘Bulawayo Bomber’ Moyo.

An influential figure in Zimbabwean boxing circles in the past 30 years, many great boxers have come out of Tshaka Youth Centre where Ndlovu was the resident coach.

Former champions Jabulani Gombiro, Nokuthula Tshabangu, Ambrose Mlilo, Sipho Moyo, Fredrick Chisoro and Modercai Donga all passed through Ndlovu’s hands.

Mourners are gathered at 42051/5 Ejingeni Flats in Makokoba.- The Chronicle