The newly appointed board of Boxing SA, which will be in office for three years, must bring along all stakeholders in its expedition to restore the waning image of the pugilistic sport.
When the government got involved with professional boxing in 1998 after its turbulent past, which was compounded by challenges both at a conceptual and structural level, it was announced that the vision was to make boxing the leading sport and brand in the country, and to position BSA as a world-class commission.
It was announced that BSA would establish a medical aid scheme that would be extended to all stakeholders directly involved with the sport such as boxers, trainers, managers, promoters, seconds, referees and judges. It was further announced that BSA would introduce minimum pay for boxers as part of their contractual arrangements. But none of this was achieved.
Some say the sport is beyond redemption while many believe it can still be revived if authorities remember that it is not about them but mainly about the licensees and if the seven-member board is be prepared to listen when stakeholders talk.
There has been no boxing indaba for the past three years and that is the forum where licensees get the opportunity to communicate direct with the authorities. That gathering is also the only one that brings the broader spectrum together because every licensee can attend.
The above issues, as well as the board’s lackadaisical attitude in trying to coerce the SABC and SuperSport to give the sport its full attention, spelt the death knell of the previous board.
Licensees then began spreading negative messages about boxing on social media. Still, the board turned a blind eye and failed to assist in the formation of provincial boxing associations.
Newly appointed BSA chair Luthando Jack, who was part of that board, has acknowledged these blunders.
“We really need to complete what I would call the national architecture of boxing because in my view we tend to put too much emphasis on the role of the board and forget the need for the creation of other structures [for promoters, boxers, managers, trainers and officials] to work with the board or a common vision and pursue it,” Jack told Sowetan.
“We must work with the fraternity; bring it on board and march with them. They have got to understand and co-own that vision so that our role as the board must be that of catalyst as opposed to us being seen playing a dominant role in the affairs of boxing.
“If the fraternity is working together towards a common direction we will then be able to renew boxing. We must continue to pursue the public broadcaster to flight boxing tournaments during prime time because if we are unable to showcase the talent of our pugilists we will not be able attract sponsors."
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