“All stops need to be pulled out to ensure we set the tone at next year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the momentum is maintained all the way to get victory at Los Angeles 2028,” Lejaka said.
Former BSA board member Andile Sdinile said the sport remaining in the Olympics means amateur boxers “have something to look forward to”.
“They have always been disappointed by the leadership of Sanabo, and the decision has allowed them to disaffiliate with the International Boxing Association (previously known as the Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur), an organisation that sanctions amateur and professional boxing matches, and affiliate to World Boxing.
“The decision has given them [Sanabo] the opportunity to rethink their Olympics qualification strategy. It has presented an important opportunity to elect Sanabo leadership that will be creative and goal-orientated and focus less on themselves.”
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SA boxing fraternity welcomes rescue of sport’s Olympic future
Development the ‘most beautiful opportunity’, says Boxing SA acting CEO Tsholofelo Lejaka
Columnist
Image: Veli Nhlapo
Sanity has prevailed and open boxing has been saved as an Olympic sport.
The decision to have open boxing remain as an Olympic sport can give the sport in South Africa a new lease on life, commentators said.
Formerly known as amateur boxing, the fistic sport was not part of the programme for the next Olympics when the schedule was announced in 2022.
Attempts to procure comment from the SA National Amateur Boxing Organisation (Sanabo), the sport's amateur wing, were unsuccessful.
Boxing SA (BSA) acting CEO Tsholofelo Lejaka said the development was “the most beautiful opportunity the SA boxing fraternity could have hoped for”.
“It presents an ideal opportunity for South Africa, led by Sanabo, to claim its place within Project 300 as proclaimed by minister of sport, arts and culture Gayton McKenzie [which aims to have 300 SA athletes at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles].”
Addressing a boxing indaba in East London last month, McKenzie said boxing would be well represented at the LA Olympics.
The last time South Africa had an amateur boxer at the Olympics was in Beijing in 2008 when Jackson Chauke lost in the opening stages.
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“All stops need to be pulled out to ensure we set the tone at next year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the momentum is maintained all the way to get victory at Los Angeles 2028,” Lejaka said.
Former BSA board member Andile Sdinile said the sport remaining in the Olympics means amateur boxers “have something to look forward to”.
“They have always been disappointed by the leadership of Sanabo, and the decision has allowed them to disaffiliate with the International Boxing Association (previously known as the Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur), an organisation that sanctions amateur and professional boxing matches, and affiliate to World Boxing.
“The decision has given them [Sanabo] the opportunity to rethink their Olympics qualification strategy. It has presented an important opportunity to elect Sanabo leadership that will be creative and goal-orientated and focus less on themselves.”
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