Doctor Khumalo dedicates Hall of Fame induction to family, fans: ‘I felt those vuvuzelas in difficult moments’

Football icon Theophilus Doctorson ‘Doctor’ Khumalo was recently inducted into the South African Sports Hall of Fame. 

Known to many by his nicknames ‘16V’ and ‘Yster’, he shares how his upbringing in Soweto shaped his journey to becoming one of the nation’s most beloved players. 

The 58-year-old credits his success to the strict guidance of his family and community, who protected him from negative influences and distractions.

His mother continually reminded him that, despite his growing fame, he remained 'Doctor' at home.  

“I personally had questions on how they used to do things, my upbringing, and I wasn’t even aware that they were actually protecting what was supposed to be a brand,” he explains.

Khumalo recalls an important moment when community members pulled him from a party.

“They came, they switched off the music, and they ordered me to come out of the tent. They said, ‘This is no place where you belong'.

“The ball is in your court. Do you want to listen, or do you want to stay and be with those friends who are inside the tent with alcohol, with women, and without any vision? It’s people who saw me playing on the dusty streets of Soweto.” 

Khumalo dedicates the Sports Hall of Fame induction to his late parents for the role they played in his life.

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“The unfortunate thing is they can’t be there for me and see everything that they have done. And thank you, South Africa, thank you, Mzansi, for the support. They were the people who were actually there when I was down and up, irrespective of the team. I felt it, that vuvuzela, in difficult moments.” 

To listen to Khumalo in conversation with 947’s Robert Marawa, click below: