Mpontshane comes out fighting for Sidinile

EMBATTLED Eastern Cape Sijuta Promotions boss Andile Sidinile has received an unlikely ally in his runin with fight authorities.

Sidinile is currently serving a suspension from Boxing SA after failing to reimburse the regulatory body for the money it paid boxers who participated in his show in April last year.

He also faces further charges relating to fraud for allegedly forging a letter purported to be from the provincial department of sport, recreation, arts and culture giving him confirmation of funding for the said tournament.

While daggers appear to be drawn against him, newly crowned SA junior-lightweight champion Phila Mpontshane feels the well travelled promoter should be given the benefit of doubt and be let off the hook.

Interestingly Mpontshane is not contractually aligned with Sijuta Promotions but he once fought under their banner in Mzamba where he knocked out Lulamile Booi in two rounds.

The odd bout gave Mpontshane enough courage to bat for Sijuta due to the smooth organisation he observed in the tournament.

“To me promoters like Sijuta should be protected because they are in boxing for the love of it,” said Mpontshane.

“Lets face it, Sijuta is one of the best promoters in the land and they look after their boxers well. I had the honour of fighting under them in Mzamba and I could see how they did things, even going an extra mile to make sure that we as boxers were well looked after. I can also bat for them in terms of the good purses they pay for boxers. Generally Sijuta’s priority is boxers before anything else.”

Mpontshane is perhaps the only boxer to come out in public to support a promoter contrary to the norm when boxers often blame promoters for short-changing them.

He argued that he understood the punishment meted out to Sijuta but emphasised that it did not meet action he did. “Sijuta did all that because they wanted to make sure that boxers get active,” he said.

“It is not like they wanted the money for themselves but they had boxers’ interest at heart. Sometimes things do not go according to plan. Promised funding sometimes do not materialise. We as boxers should understand the length promoters sometimes go to in order to make sure that we get fights.”

Mpontshane’s sentiments almost equate those of BSA chairwoman Ntambi Ravele who said some of the financial problems encountered by suspended Eastern Cape promoters were due to failed promises of government funding.

Mpontshane caused an upset last December when he came as an underdog to dethrone favoured Aphiwe Mboyiya for the SA junior-lightweight crown.

He is due for a title defence next month. — Boxing Mecca Correspondent