Covid-19 forced the last-minute cancellation of TK Boxing Promotions tournament.
It was scheduled to take place at Greenfield Stadium in Randfontein on the West Rand yesterday afternoon.
The results of the Covid-19 tests, according to promoter Tshele Kometsi, came just when boxers and trainers were on the verge of entering the bio-bubble.
The tournament was to be headlined by the SA junior welterweight title fight between defending champion Xolani “Tiger” Mcotheli and Sibusiso “Prince” Dlomo.
“More than two boxers tested positive for Covid-19,” Kometsi said. “As a result, I could not continue with the tournament as Boxing SA is regulated by the Covid-19 protocol.
“This must be a lesson to boxers and actually everybody in the country that this Covid-19 is for real and very serious. The boxing fraternity must exercise precautionary measures and protect themselves, especially now that we are in the second wave of the coronavirus.
“I am hopeful that between January and February when I do my tournament, we won’t be in the situation where boxers have to find themselves not fighting again because they did not protect themselves.
“This tournament cost me a lot of money. The cancellation did not affect only boxers but my pocket as well. I had already booked flight tickets for boxers coming from other provinces and also secured a venue for the bio-bubble. I also had to pay for trainers’ Covid-19 tests.”
This follows news last week that there will be no further boxing tournaments in the Eastern Cape this year due to a spike in the Covid-19 cases, especially in the Buffalo City Metro.
The Rumble Africa Promotions tournament was supposed to have taken place two weekends ago and Xaba Promotion’s tournament was to happen yesterday.
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