The decision to allow boxers to fight for titles in provinces other than where they live has rekindled debate before a tournament in Gqeberha next weekend.
The show, to be staged by Universal Boxing Promotions (UBP) at the Nangoza Jebe Hall, will see Owethu Rula defending her Eastern Cape flyweight belt against Cape Town’s Zizo Skoti, while SA junior lightweight champion Nozipho Bell makes her ring return against Abongile Lubambo in a catchweight scrap.
Rula, who failed to unseat SA junior-flyweight champion Nozwelethu Mathontsi, will be bidding to safeguard her provincial title against Skoti, who is coming off a loss against Sibabalwe Gwebityala.
Though she lives in Cape Town, Skoti, who hails from Ngcobo, will challenge for the Eastern Cape belt for the second time, having failed against Gwebityala in the junior-flyweight version.
The Capetonian’s securing the go-ahead to fight for Eastern Cape titles has reignited the controversy about boxers fighting for titles in other provinces.
Eyebrows were raised when Bulelani Ngondeka was permitted to contest for the Eastern Cape junior lightweight belt against Lubabalo Kweyi despite previously challenging for the Western Cape title.
However, matchmaker Luyanda Kana defended the move, saying it was influenced by the scarcity of qualifying boxers for provincial titles.
“It is even worse for women because if we could only limit them to contest titles of their provinces, we would not have enough boxers,” he said.
Skoti, who has lost once in three fights with a draw, has fought all her bouts in the Eastern Cape to bolster her chances of winning a provincial belt.
The scarcity of bouts in the Western Cape will also see two champions from the province, Mbuyiseli Ndukwana and Luthando Mkwini, take their battle to another province.
Ndukwana is the Western Cape lightweight champion while Mkwini, who is based in Duncan Village, holds the province’s junior welterweight belt.
Ndukwana, who is from Mdantsane, decided to contest for the Western Cape title when he relocated to Knysna, though he can still pursue the Eastern Cape crown.
UBP boss David Faas said the upcoming tournament, bankrolled by the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, would celebrate International Women’s Day.
Daily Dispatch
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