Imbethimanqindi esaze ngobuso ezweni, uAthenkosi “Viper” Plaatjies, ibiny’ nyela iintambo emlweni ogqithileyo, ngoku ijonge kakhulu yitayitile yehlabathi. UViper, oyinzalelwane yaseKariega ebikade iyiTinarha, wafudukela eNtshona Koloni – apho wayokufuna amadlelo aluhlaza eminyakeni egqithileyo. Kwiveki ephelileyo uzuze impumelelo ebalulekileyo nangona eyifumene ebunzimeni kwindodana yaseCongo. UPlaatjies, 22, ubethe uWelcome Malumbu ngamanqaku emlweni wetayitile yaseMzantsi Afrika (Junior-Middleweight) obubanjelwe eKrugersdorp. Uyenye yeembethimanqindi ezivelizwe phantsi kwenkqubo yophuhliso lwamanqindi eMpuma Koloni kwaye uneembasa zeBronze azifumene kwiSANABO Championship ngo-2018 nakwiZone 4 Championship eyayibanjelwe eBotswana ngonyaka ka-2019.
Phantsi kwegama lakhe uViper kwinqanaba eliphezulu, imilo emine uyiphumelele yonke kwaye akakabethwa. Nangona uPlaatjies ayifince yonke imijikelo yomlo ngethuba esilwa noMalumba aseCongo – kodwa uzamkele ngovuyo iziphumo zomlo obungelulanga. “Ndiziva ndichulumancile kakhulu,” utshilo uPlaatjies ethetha nabeendaba emva kwempumelelo yakhe yokuqala enyakeni omtsha. “Umlo wona ndingatsho ukuba ibuluvavanyo endiye ndalonwabela ngoba siye safika kumjikelo wesithandathu. UMalumba usebenzile ngoba mna andiqhelanga kuyigqiba yonke imijikelo xa ndisilwa. Ndiwuphelisa kwangoko umlo. Into endiye emdlalweni isengqondweni yam ibukukulwa – kodwa ndiwuphelise umlo ingaphelanga imijikelo ebimiselwe.
“Umsebenzi owenziwe ngumqeqeshi wam mhle ngoba ke ndikwazile ukuyigqiba imijikelo yonke ndabuya nempumelelo. Kodwa ikhe yandothusa indlela andixheshe ngayo ngoba bendingayilindelanga kwaphela,” utshilo uPlaatjies oye emlweni engazange wambukela uMalumba. “Zange ndambukela ngaphambili uMalumba – kodwa yena ulwe kakuhle kakhulu. Ndiyamvuma, uyimbethimanqindi enekamva eliqaqambileyo emanqindini. Ndifuna ukufumana imilo kwelinqanaba ndikulo ngoba ndifuna ukuqinisa indlela endilwa ngayo phambi kokunyukela kwinqanaba elingasentla. Andifuni ukungxamela ngasentla ngoba ndisemncinane kakhulu. Ndibulela bonke abantu abandixhasayo. Konke endikwenzayo ndikwenzela bona,” uvale ngaloo mazwi uPlaatjies.
URulani uzityanda igila ngeDowns emva kokukhutshwa kwiChampions League