Bongani Magasela
Bongani Magasela
The successful boxing promotion of Branco Milenkovic and Jacob Matlala could sweep the boards at Boxing SA's yearly awards in Bloemfontein early next year.
The duo staged major tournaments in Gauteng, Western Cape, North West and Eastern Cape and that could win them the Promoter of 2007 award. Their fighter, IBF junior lightweight champion, Mzonke "Rose of Khayelitsha" Fana, is tipped for the Boxer of the Year honour.
Fana's mentor Zola Koti should by right win the Trainer of 2007 trophy while the BSP presented a blow out between Bongani Mwelase and Lucky Lewele which took place at Wembley Arena last month and is favoured for the Fight of the Year award.
That brutal slugfest had fight fans on the edge of their seats. Mwelase performed miracles and in the process dethroned Lewele of both the SA and WBC International welterweight belts.
Milenkovic said the sizeable list of their accomplishments this year underlines their claim as Africa's leading boxing promotion.
"I can look back with pride," he said. "Not only did we manage to sustain our five national and eight WBC International champions but we also produced an IBF world champion in Mzonke Fana.
"We also staged six national title fights but our international respectability was underlined with 15 WBC International fights, two IBF world title fights and a WBC world title fight.
"We regularly dug deep in our pockets in order to guarantee success of numerous double and triple header tournaments for the sake of our boxers."
He however acknowledged their lows. Their fighter Phumzile Matyhila wast stripped of the WBC International junior flyweight title due two weeks. He failed to make the weight.
Milenkovic, Matlala in line for glory
Bongani Magasela
Bongani Magasela
The successful boxing promotion of Branco Milenkovic and Jacob Matlala could sweep the boards at Boxing SA's yearly awards in Bloemfontein early next year.
The duo staged major tournaments in Gauteng, Western Cape, North West and Eastern Cape and that could win them the Promoter of 2007 award. Their fighter, IBF junior lightweight champion, Mzonke "Rose of Khayelitsha" Fana, is tipped for the Boxer of the Year honour.
Fana's mentor Zola Koti should by right win the Trainer of 2007 trophy while the BSP presented a blow out between Bongani Mwelase and Lucky Lewele which took place at Wembley Arena last month and is favoured for the Fight of the Year award.
That brutal slugfest had fight fans on the edge of their seats. Mwelase performed miracles and in the process dethroned Lewele of both the SA and WBC International welterweight belts.
Milenkovic said the sizeable list of their accomplishments this year underlines their claim as Africa's leading boxing promotion.
"I can look back with pride," he said. "Not only did we manage to sustain our five national and eight WBC International champions but we also produced an IBF world champion in Mzonke Fana.
"We also staged six national title fights but our international respectability was underlined with 15 WBC International fights, two IBF world title fights and a WBC world title fight.
"We regularly dug deep in our pockets in order to guarantee success of numerous double and triple header tournaments for the sake of our boxers."
He however acknowledged their lows. Their fighter Phumzile Matyhila wast stripped of the WBC International junior flyweight title due two weeks. He failed to make the weight.