Boxing inside the ring is on an upward trajectory, tournaments are coming thick and fast and Boxing SA (BSA) acting CEO Tsholofelo Lejaka says that progress has not gone unnoticed.
“We, as Boxing SA, need to thank all our licensees for the progress,” he said yesterday.
“They have been constantly delivering with little support from the BSA board due to our focus on fixing the books. We appreciate the patience from the sector.”
Lejaka added that they had been so busy they could not even congratulate the champions being crowned almost every month. “That's how busy we've been,” he said.
“That period is now over and you will start feeling us. We have now started pumping; remember, for three months you've not heard me speak about regulations, the design of new SA boxing belts, the training of ring officials and that includes their grading.”
He said they had not even touched on the issue of the planned Steve Tshwete Series.
Sports, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie announced in April at a banquet to honour more than 30 boxing legends and former stars that the planned series of tournaments in celebration of former sports minister Steve Tshwete would kick off within two months in East London.
He said the series will operate as an interprovincial series with four fighters from each province facing off over several months.
In the meantime, the sector has welcomed several new promoters and that includes Dewald Monstert, whose maiden tournament attracted about 7,000 fans at the Sunbet Arena in Pretoria on May 1.
Rodney Berman and Larry Weinstein have not slowed down in making sure that Gauteng is the most active province, while Mzi Booi of Kay B Promotions and Xaba Promotions of Ayanda Matiti have kept fires burning in East London.
KwaZulu-Natal will have its first tournament on Saturday at Townhall in Estcourt, where Hlula Dladla's company will organise 10 boxing matches from 2pm.
On the same day, but in Mpumalanga, Rise Promotion of Zodwa Lubisi will stage her development tournament at Event City in Middelburg.
Thirteen days later, Matiti will stage an international tournament to celebrate the 1976 generation.
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