The only black woman boxing referee and judge in the North West Province, Ms Sylvia Mokaila will represent South Africa at World Boxing Council convention that will be held in Cancun, Mexico from 30th November to 9th December 2012. 

Sylvia, as Mokaila is affectionately called, is the only woman in the five person’s South African delegation comprising of Dr. Peter Ngatane, Joe Chaane, Thabo Spampool and Sipho Xamlashe. 

With her love and passion for boxing, the Lomanyaneng born lady reached the apex of boxing officialdom when she qualified as World Boxing Council referee and judge in 2006, which means she is competent to officiate as a referee or judge in fights sanctioned by the organisation anywhere in the world.

“We are proud of Sylvia as she will be representing both the province and the country at large in a male dominated sport in Mexico. I would like to encourage other young women to take part in sport in all its forms to help build a healthy nation”, said the MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture Mme Tebogo Modise where Mokaila employed.  

When highlighting that her department is contributing to Mokaila’s travel, MEC Modise further said that, this kind of participation at the highly rated WBC convention by Sylvia would serve to realize the department’s vision of being ‘a hub of talent which is internationally recognised and admired’. “We would like to urge young and aspiring athletes in the province to look beyond their shortcomings, particularly given that our province is predominantly rural, and strive for excellence”, said MEC Modise in closing. 

“I would like to impart my skills to young people in order to maximise their participation in sport, especially from the North West Province”, said Sylvia’ while she highlighted that she is currently involved in motivating and mentoring two women boxing champions from the province, in the mould of Kholosa Ndobayini from Kanana who holds South African Welter Weight Championship and Bukiwe Nonina from Stelfontein who holds South African Bantam Weight Championship.

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