Doing the Mdantsane shuffle: boxers dream big in the gym of champions

Boxing gloves are lined up along the side of a dilapidated boxing ring, its ragged ropes held up by rusted bars. In the adjoining room, under a single flickering light, scuffed punching bags hang from exposed ceiling beams. The smell of sweat and damp wood lingers. Cockroaches scuttle into shadows as we enter.