Bongani Magasela

Bongani Magasela

Time is fast running out for boxing licensees, especially those who promised to produce a list of preferred personnel to be appointed to the board of Boxing SA by Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile this month.

The term of the old regime ends this month. It comprises Dali Mpofu (chairman), Peter Ngatane, Sakhiwo Sodo, Allan Norman, Violet Magwaca and Stompie Xulu.

They took over from the board of Mthobi Tyamzashe.

The Gauteng Promoters Association (GPA), through deputy chairman Xoli Gumede, announced a few weeks ago that they would present a list of preferred personnel to Stofile.

But nothing has come forth.

Sowetan has come up with a "dream team" which, given a chance, will pull boxing out of the quagmire.

It comprises Ngatane, Jeff Ellis, Loyiso Mtya, Archie Jonas, Phakamile Jacobs and Dingaan Thobela.

Krish Naidoo should be the general manager while Terry Pettifer will do what he knows best - be the voice of boxing as the public relations officer.

All these gentlemen, who either boxed or grew up in this sport, have shown through many years that they are boxing people through and through.

This sport will be better off with former fighters at the helm. They have enormous wealth of experience as administrators.

They are also cool-headed yet argument about boxing is their life because this sport occupies the biggest, if not the entire, space in their hearts. Their brains could be shaped in the form of a boxing glove.

Ngatane would be suited for the chairmanship while Ellis would fit in like a glove in the marketing position with Mtya mastering the foreign affairs (working with all the world sanctioning bodies).

Jonas and Jacobs will be suited to the operations while Thobela, a brand on his own, is just what boxing needs in the boardrooms.

He, too, has proved beyond doubt that boxers are not as dumb as they are perceived to be. Thobela is a successful businessmen.

Boxing in this country will undoubtedly reclaim a bigger chunk of publicity in all mediums if Pettifer is the public relations officer. He did that job so well for KnockOut Promotions years back, but he became a guru in that field after joining Golden Gloves.

Ngatane, Ellis, Mtya, Jonas, Jacobs and Thobela, with Bongani "Mr Fix-It" Khumalo, the current chief executive, and Naidoo will restore boxing's lost pride and bring about the required revolution at SABC, which has flatly refused to dedicate time to it.

All this will certainly give respect to South African titles and its champions but mostly put bums on the seats that are forever vacant at venues.