Will the gap in the ranking of professional women boxing in South Africa remain open like a swinging gate?

Unfortunately, chairperson of women boxing Zandile Kabini could not shed any light on the future of women in the fistic sport when pressed for a comment yesterday.

Kabini, the senior female on the seven-member Boxing SA (BSA) board, said the national governing body will meet in two weeks' time where she will make a presentation and only after that will she comment.

BSA tried to popularise professional women boxing last year after several programmes were organised.

But, only six female amateur boxers graduated to the professional ranks after a session at Booysens Boxing, south of Johannesburg, last weekend, while more than 70 males got the nod.

The current state of affairs in women boxing is distressing. Some weight divisions have only a champion with no contenders to challenge them.

Champions are idle without action, and of the official 17 weight divisions, BSA has 11 champions from 12 weight categories.

The highest weight class where there are registered boxers is the middleweight
division where Mapule "Thunder" Ngubane is the champion. Luckily, she will be in action in the USA on March 16 against Women International Boxing Association's champion Ema Kotz.

Hopefully more females will be granted licences when BSA continues conducting sparring sessions around the country.