Asanda Gingqi’s sixth months of fame as the SA featherweight boxing champion will come to a screeching end on March 27 at East London’s ICC Hall, the manager of Sthembiso Maduna, Michael Sediane, declared yesterday.

Gingqi, from Mdantsane, won the title by a split points decision against Abdulaziz Kurnet in September.

Kurnet’s manager Colin Nathan protested against the verdict and lodged a formal complaint with Boxing SA because he believed his charge had done enough to win the fight. It was reviewed by neutral judges and they all scored the fight in favour of Ginqgi who will make his mandatory defence against Maduna who has just scored a points win in a non-title fight against Kurnet.

Sediane, of the African Child Gym in Randfontein, said: “I did not think twice when the fight contract was sent to us; Gingqi’s reign is coming to an end – period.”

Maduna, from KwaZulu-Natal, has been with Sediane for a year.

“I am involved full-time in Sthembiso’s career; he stays with me and there is no way he can bunk the gym. He trains twice a day – [at] Planet Fitness in the morning and we use Ramosa Gym in the afternoon,” said Sediane. “We will be training at the gym of Cassius Baloyi in Sandton from Monday. That is where we will have quality in our sparring. Look, Shembiso’s older brother Sanele Maduna [a professional boxer] is also helping with  sparring. We are leaving nothing to chance.”

Sediane – who serves as boxing’s Covid-19 compliance officer – began managing fighters in 2017. There was confusion last week with rumours that Msomi will defend against his stablemate Zolisa Batyi. Sediane wrote to Boxing SA inquiring about the rumours, which were quashed by the regulator.

Sediane’s other boxer, Siphelele Myeza, will face Ndabezinhle Platjies over six rounds in one of the undercard bouts of the Xaba Academy of Linda Saliwa. Sediane, 42, is a former professional boxer whose career ended after he lost to debutant Hekkie Budler in 2007.