Boxing licensees eager to dump current board

Some boxing licensees are gatvol with how the sport is being “bastardised” by the ruthlessness of authorities who ignore SA Boxing Act No 11 of 2001 and its regulations and can’t wait to see the back of all seven members of the board of BSA.

Sport minister Zizi Kodwa will announce a new board in December. During their three-year tenure, the board signed a three-year-deal with SABC, which has seen action taking place in most parts of the country. 

Unfortunately the bad outweighs the good . Lisencees cannot talk openly because BSA board does not hesitate in suspending licensees.

For an example, some licensees who did not attend BSA’s training and assessment conducted by Khulile Radu and Loyiso Mtya [who are not recognised by any institution] have not been relicensed. They are also not allowed to perform their duties while others with similar circumstances continue with their duties.

Recently, a decision in a national title fight was reversed three days after the tournament and BSA suspended its director of operations, but failed to take action against the fight supervisor. An unraked boxer fought for the SA title and lost but he has since been rewarded with a top three rating.

Ratings committee chair Andre de Vries resigned because of that and was followed by Thabo Tutu.

De Vries is a former boxing commentator and collector of fight records with 53,000 local and international fights in his system going back to the 1800s. De Vries and Tutu have been replaced by Willie Saayman and Radu.

Already there are allegations of ratings being manipulated.

Abdulaziz Kunert, who drew with the national junior featherweight champ, has been dropped to No 4. He  was a mandatory challenger and should remain at No 1. That is according to a resolution taken in 2017 and revised in 2021 regarding the criteria of ranking boxers.

His situation has irked his manager, Colin Nathan, who said none of his fighters will ever be involved in provincial and SA title fights until the new administration is in place.

The globetrotter has just been licensed by the Japanese Boxing Commission where his fighter Lerato Dlamini won the No 2 spot in the IBF ratings in the featherweight division said: “On my arrival, I am faced with the reality of major flaws administratively with regard to boxing ratings that Mickey Mouse Donald Duck would tell you after reading that is all make believe. Where even Ray Charles can rise from the grave and see that something is not right with the ratings.”

“When you see a fighter beat another  but the one who has just been beaten has been given a higher rating.” He said, referring to Joshua Studdard, who lost to Akani Sambo for the WBF Intercontinental title recently.

“That is why I have taken a stance that my athletes will not contest for either the provincial or national titles until there is a new administration,” said Nathan whose Hot Box Gym houses many top name fighters including Africa’s only legitimate world champion IBF junior-flyweight holder Sivenathi “Special One” Nontshinga.

The IBF junior-flyweight champion will defend his belt against Adrian Curiel Dominguez at Casino de Monte Carlo Salle Medecin, Monte Carlo, Monaco, on November 4.

Sowetan’s attempts to get comment from both BSA chair Luthando Jack and acting CEO Nsikayezwe Sithole were unsuccessful. Board member and spokesperson Azwitamisi Nthangeni was also contacted but with no luck.

BSA acting CEO Nsikayezwe Sithole requests that “concerns must be submitted to the office of the CEO. I will forward them to the committee for explanation.”