SABC ready for live boxing matches as bidding starts
Five dates for provinces released
Boxing SA has invited promoters around the country to begin bidding for the SABC’s first of the nine live broadcasting dates that are ready for allocation.
This is the first part on the delivery which emanates from the three-year agreement the regulator and the national broadcaster signed in September.
The main aim of the memorandum of understanding between SABC and Boxing SA is to bring live boxing tournaments back on SABC television screens. Currently, the public broadcaster only has a boxing programme that is aired on Friday evenings on SABC2.
The local fight fraternity watched live when Mzonke "The Rose of Khayelitsha" Fana lost in his bid to dethrone WBC junior lightweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera in Mexico on April 9 2005.
Only SuperSport has been consistent with live broadcast but not all boxers in the country are fortunate to work with promoters that do business with the private channel.
“Promoters have already been invited to bid for the first five dates above in order to ensure that the tournaments are prepared well in time and that there is sufficient time to manage all the activities attendant to the hosting of a tournament,” the regulator announced yesterday after issuing the dates.
The first five are for Gauteng in April 21, Limpopo April 28, Eastern Cape May 26, KwaZulu-Natal June 30, Cape Town July 5. The others four are yet to be confirmed.