Boxers advised to imagine future beyond their sport

Nomfesane Nyatela, CEO of Rumble Africa Promotion (RAP), has encouraged professional boxers to arm themselves with academic qualifications because the Covid-19 period demonstrated that boxing is a short-term career.

She said RAP had a programme with the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and only one of their boxers, Khanyisa Siko, grabbed the opportunity and completed a public management course.

Siko is now an intern at the department of public works in East London.

“Boxers must actually use this time to do introspection in terms of what they intend to do with their future,” Nyatela said.

“This period should have opened boxers’ eyes.

“The sad thing about this break is that boxers have not been able to earn a living because their focus is only in boxing, inside the ring, when they can do other very important things in their lives.

“That includes taking up some courses that will see them get jobs, earn a salary, while waiting to get inside the ring,” she said.

“Boxers must know one thing — that not all of them will be as lucky as Moruti Mthalane who is a world champion at 38 years.

“It is high time they realise that boxing is not like teaching where they can go on until they are 65 years old before they retire. Boxing has age limits and besides that, there are dangers involved.

“The only thing we encourage boxers to do is equip themselves with academic qualifications so that they have something to fall back on when their boxing days are over.”

A businesswoman in her own right, Nomfesane said there were many more business opportunities for women than men.

“The leadership of Rumble African Promotions, which includes chairman Terries Ntuthu, is not only about boxing. It cannot only be about producing boxing champions, but [must] also promote education.”

Meanwhile, BSA chief operations officer Cindy Nkomo has confirmed the organisation has gone digital.

This comes when they had been looking at ways to strengthen their communication to licensees, boxing fans and the media.

“An online system was our solution,” she said.

“With the Boxing SA online system, our licensees will be able to create a profile and renew their licences annually in the comfort of their homes using laptop or a hand-held device.”