Amid a continuing dearth of professional boxing tournaments, boxing stakeholders have shifted focus by organising a string of amateur shows in the province, many of them scheduled to form part of the June 16 commemorations this weekend.
The Buffalo City region has not hosted a professional tournament since March, when new promotional company KayB Promotions organised a show in East London featuring Zolisa Batyi, who successfully defended his SA featherweight title against Gauteng’s Lucky Hobyane.
The lack of boxing activity has left scores of professional boxers destitute, and several amateur structures are filling the gap by organising events across the province.
Last weekend, Mpucuko Sports Development (MSD) launched the second edition of its annual amateur tournament in Somerset East, where six clubs from municipalities such as Blue Crane, Makana and Ndlambe battled for supremacy.
MSD director and former SA flyweight champion Ncedo Cecane hailed the tournament as a resounding success, saying it had attracted scores of youths, boding well for the quest to unearth talent.
“The show was dominated by youngsters who are very keen to follow a career in boxing and that is exactly what this programme is about,” he said.
More than 23 bouts involving women kept the partisan crowd on its feet, with the winners being presented with medals and securing a spot in the finals in East London in March 2025.
The next stop will be Sada — Cecane’s birthplace — which has produced stars such as SA bantamweight champion Landile Ngxeke, former SA mini-flyweight king Xolisa Magusha and a slew of hot prospects.
As Youth Day approaches, clubs will commemorate the day with shows.
One of them involves the Africa Boxing Club, which is holding the fourth edition of its tournament at the NU13 sports complex in Mdantsane on Monday.
Partnering with the SPAR supermarket in the area, the event is being organised under the auspices of the Mdantsane Amateur Boxing Organisation and will feature 30 bouts involving fighters from various clubs in the township.
Event co-ordinator Bobbin Sityana said the show would also pay homage to boxing legends of the region such as former world champions Vuyani Bungu, Welcome Ncita and Hawk Makepula as well as luminaries including former BSA boss Loyiso Mtya and a string of officials.
“We want to celebrate them while they are still alive, hence we decided to honour them with this event,” he said.
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