Boxing promoters did wonders for Gauteng by staging 28 tournaments this year, confirming the region as the real “Mecca of Boxing”.
This is how best the chairperson of Gauteng Boxing Promoters Association (GBPA), Sandile Xaka, paid tribute to his colleagues.
Gauteng hosted the greatest number of tournaments this year. “They did very well, although our wish to have development tournaments in townships was not realised,” Xaka said on Wednesday.
“The development of boxing in [the] townships is the appropriate step towards achieving [the] goal of producing more champions.”
The Gauteng government has been supportive, but the truth is that its R300,000 grant is too little for a promoter to put up a tournament.
Rodney Berman, Larry Wainstein, Brad Norman, Geraldine Lerena, Dewald Mostert, and Terry Lee Hart dug deeper in their own pockets for their tournaments.
Berman staged six tournaments, one more than Wainstein and Norman.
Lerena organised four events, with Monstert staging two in one day. Thanyani Marageni staged two tournaments but her second one was a joint venture with Sbongile Matiti, Melissa Miller and Leandra Beyers.
Bongani Dlamini, Terry Ann Hart, Anney Xala, and Joy Mahanetsa staged one tournament each.
Mahanetsa’s event at Eyethu in Soweto last weekend was the last leg of Boxing SA’s Women in Boxing Series in Gauteng. She jointly staged it with Marageni, Miller, Beyers, Hart, Mapule Matlala, Phumudzo Ramabulana, and Joyce Kungwane.
Gauteng produced two world champions this year; Phumelela “The Truth” Cafu and Ricardo “Magic Man” Malajika.
Cafu won the WBO junior bantamweight belt. The East Londoner is based in Gauteng under progressive trainer Colin “Nomakanjani” Nathan. Malajika won the IBO flyweight belt.
History was also made when Smangele “Smash” Hadebe grabbed the inaugural WBC Africa flyweight belt. “We hope for more success in 2026, and [to] become the real home of champions,” said Xaka, who was elected chairman of GBPA in July.
Xaka’s deputy is Mapule Matlala, the wife of the late boxing icon, Jacob “Baby Jake” Matlala. Beyers is the association’s secretary, while Ramabulana is GBPA’s deputy secretary. Marageni is head of marketing and communications.
Sowetan
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