BSA director of operations Mandla Ntlanganiso said the boxers had pleaded guilty, saying they had taken the fights to make money for the December holidays.
“They attributed their decision to poverty, with some saying they had no money for their families for December festivities, and while they know what they did was wrong, we had to show leniency,” he said.
Ntlanganiso said the boxers were allowed to schedule bouts, but denied that Manzana, who had been set to face Tiisetso Matikinca in an all Mthatha bantamweight clash, was disqualified.
“We were not even aware of such a planned bout, but it is not true that any of the boxers are not permitted to fight.”
Xaba Promotions, which had scheduled the bout in East London for March 16 before moving it to March 29, previously said the bout had been cancelled due to Manzana’s pending case with BSA.
Manzana’s manager, Thembani Gopheni, confirmed there had been talks about the bout, but Manzana had turned it down as he was busy with family commitments.
Defending the decision to send him to Tanzania, Gopheni said Manzana was a breadwinner who needed to support his family.
Ntlanganiso said a decision about the role of the boxers’ managers who accompanied them to Tanzania was yet to be taken.
Daily Dispatch
BSA raps Eastern Cape boxers over knuckles for Tanzanian bouts
Image: HAYDEN JONES
Boxing SA has decided to take a lenient stance against Eastern Cape boxers who sneaked out of the country to fight in Tanzania without authorisation.
The regulator finally made a ruling on the matter involving Sihle Jelwana from Komani, East London’s Asemahle Wellem and Lusizo Manzana, who accepted bouts in Tanzania in December, with some suffering hometown decision losses.
BSA sent them final-warning letters and ordered them to do community service in their respective areas as part of the punishment.
Jelwana lost to Kalolo Amir, while Mthatha boxer Manzana was adjudged loser to unbeaten Ibrahim Mafia in a bantamweight clash.
Wellem, who holds the SA super-middleweight title, suffered a split decision loss to Frank Shagembe, two weeks after returning from Australia where he was stopped in eight rounds by Conor Wallace in a WBA Oceanic light-heavyweight title clash on December 11.
Due to his stoppage loss to Wallace, Wellem was under automatic suspension, but he decided to take the fight in Tanzania, where he had previously suffered a disputed decision when his WBF title clash against Selemani Kidunda was controversially scored a draw.
Makeleni set to get off scot-free for fight withdrawal
BSA director of operations Mandla Ntlanganiso said the boxers had pleaded guilty, saying they had taken the fights to make money for the December holidays.
“They attributed their decision to poverty, with some saying they had no money for their families for December festivities, and while they know what they did was wrong, we had to show leniency,” he said.
Ntlanganiso said the boxers were allowed to schedule bouts, but denied that Manzana, who had been set to face Tiisetso Matikinca in an all Mthatha bantamweight clash, was disqualified.
“We were not even aware of such a planned bout, but it is not true that any of the boxers are not permitted to fight.”
Xaba Promotions, which had scheduled the bout in East London for March 16 before moving it to March 29, previously said the bout had been cancelled due to Manzana’s pending case with BSA.
Manzana’s manager, Thembani Gopheni, confirmed there had been talks about the bout, but Manzana had turned it down as he was busy with family commitments.
Defending the decision to send him to Tanzania, Gopheni said Manzana was a breadwinner who needed to support his family.
Ntlanganiso said a decision about the role of the boxers’ managers who accompanied them to Tanzania was yet to be taken.
Daily Dispatch
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos