PE set to host next SA national boxing awards

CANVASSING behind the scenes at the national boxing awards by provincial Sports MEC Pemmy Majodina has resulted in the province being appointed as the next venue for the event.

Majodina was in Durban at the weekend, where the national boxing awards made a welcome return after a six-year absence.

The awards were dominated by Eastern Cape boxers, with almost all the 16 categories featuring a boxing personality from the province.

This gave Majodina a chance to play her cards right by convincing Boxing SA bosses Tsholofelo Lejaka and his chairwoman Ntambi Ravele to use the Eastern Cape as the host for next year.

“Yes, I spoke to Lejaka and Ravele about hosting the next awards and they were both in agreement only if the request was granted at the government level,” Majodina said.

The MEC then held talks with Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula, whose department was one of the funders for the event.

“Mbaks had no problem when I made the proposal to him and I then asked him to make the announcement there [the event],” Majodina said.

While Majodina’s sterling job to bring the awards to the province for the first time is expected to be widely commended, East London – the province’s boxing centre – will lose out due to lack of an adequate venue.

The Buffalo City region has no suitable venue besides the ICC, said to be very expensive.

Majodina said the Boardwalk Casino in Port Elizabeth would, therefore, play hosts due to the understanding the venue already enjoys with the provincial department.

The Boardwalk is a regular host for the EC Sports Awards and the agreement will be extended to include the boxing awards.

Majodina said East London would have been a perfect host city due to the huge popularity of the sport in the area.

“But what can we do if we do not have an appropriate venue? After all, the EC includes Port Elizabeth, so taking the awards there is part of our mandate as government to spread sporting events across the province.”

However, while hosting the awards in East London would have almost assured the involvement of Buffalo City Municipality, there is no assurance the Nelson Mandela Bay metro will be willing to come on board.

But Majodina insisted the department had cordial relations with the metro at government level.

“We are hoping they will come on board but even if they do not we will forge ahead as the department to ensure that the event is a rousing success.”

At the Durban awards, Buffalo City Municipality, Mbalula’s office, Ethekwini Municipality, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial department of sports and the SABC shared the costs, which included travel and accommodating the nominees and VIPs.

There were also financial rewards for some of the winners.

Majodina said she would make sure all the costs were catered for in her budget allocation for this financial year.

Taking the awards there is part of our mandate as government to spread sporting events across the province