South African reigning bantamweight champion Ronald ’King’ Malindi is fighting for his life in hospital. This is after he was shot twice in the head on Tuesday.

ASKING FOR PRAYERS

Sean Smith from Smith’s Boxing Gym in Gauteng has asked the nation for prayers for the boxer who was shot in Westbury in Gauteng by unknown gunmen. Malindi was admitted at the Helen Joseph in Johannesburg. Malindi,who is also a taxi driver, reportedly went AWOL in July after having disagreements with his trainer and boxing promoter Teris Ntuthu of the Rumble Africa Promotions over his fight with Lusizo Manzana. The fight was scheduled to be held in East London two months ago.

DIFFERENCES

Smith says Malindi recently came back to the gym. "This is painful. He recently came back to the gym after he had gone AWOL for a while," he said. He added that they had their gym session with the other boxer Thulani Mgenge on the same day he was shot. "After a while his girlfriend called to inform me that Ronald had been shot. We were told that one bullet was still stuck in his head. Only God knows if he will be able to make it alive. He is one of the boxers that I regard as my son," said Smith adding that, as trainers, they try their best to keep boxers away from the streets but he doesn’t know how they keep going back there.

KING THE CHAMPION

Malindi has fought 19 times since he became a professional in 2013 and he has never lost a fight. In 2018 he won his bantamweight where he won by points system against Mbulelo Dyani in Gauteng. Malindi who hails from Limpopo has been a taxi driver for eight years. Last year, after his win against Rofhiwa Nemushungwa in Middleburg, he said he would use his winnings to deposit a taxi so he could be his own boss.Good day. Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said

the police are investigating a case of attempted murder after a 29-year-old man was shot by unknown suspects while driving in Brixton on Tuesday afternoon. "The victim sustained a gun shot wound and was taken to a local hospital. Circumstances that led to the shooting are unknown at this stage," Nevhuhulwi said.