Why Malinga footed the bill for women's tourney

Zandile Malinga organised the women-only boxing tournament at Olive Convention Centre in Durban on Friday evening from her own pocket.

This explanation was made yesterday by Boxing SA board member Azwitamisi Nthangeni. The question from the general fight public was why that tournament was not tendered for as has always been the case with such events.

Nthangeni said the ones tendered for are when the provincial government or BSA is contributing financially.

“There was no transaction from Boxing SA to the promoter, nor the provincial department to the promoter,” he said. “Zandile did it from her own pockets; the KwaZulu-Natal government funded her tournament in June therefore it could not fund her again.

"The agreement in the province is that a promoter is assisted financially only once.”

The feeling was that Malinga was given preferential treatment by the regulator. Her tournament featured an ABU junior-bantamweight title which was won by Melissa Miller against Thema Zuma.

“It went well; it was a resounding success,” said Nthangeni.

“Both the fights on Friday night and the meeting with the deputy minister of sport was one of the pinnacles of the week-long activities. It was well attended by the licensees from KZN; other provinces were also represented.

“We got full support from provincial government which took care of all the logistics. The business community also attended. Mike Makaab [former football coach and top agent] pledged his support to help take the sport in an upwards trajectory.”

Nthangeni said one of the resolutions taken was that Boxing SA will have a national women convention next year and he also confirmed September 8 and 9 as two days for the Gauteng provincial convention.

Meanwhile, the verdict is out – judges got it right by voting reigning SA bantamweight champion Roland Malindi as the winner against Rofhiwa Nemushungwa.

Judges who reviewed the fight also voted in favour of the champion. They fought in July. Nemushungwa’s trainer Alan Toweel Junior formally appealed the verdict and requested the fight be reviewed.