BSA blasts licensees failing to use channels

Boxing SA has lambasted its licensees for failing to use the channels given to them to introduce reforms.

This follows the poor number of submissions to amend some of the contentious regulations.

BSA invited licensees to make submissions to amend regulations which have been flagged as negative to the progress of the sport.

The deadline for the submissions was on Friday October 30. However, BSA acting CEO Cindy Nkomo, said only five submissions were received from licensees at the close of business on Friday.

Yes, only five submissions from the entire boxing licensees, she said.

We are not happy with this number, especially as licensees have been complaining about some of these regulations,” she said.

The decision to amend the regulations forms part of the resolutions taken during the 2013 boxing indaba held in Johannesburg.

Among them is the highly controversial three-fight rule which stipulates that a boxer can only challenge for a national title if he or she has fought and won or drawn in the same division.

This regulation has been slammed across the board as stifling boxing development, while also devaluing the standard of SA titles.

A flood of submissions was expected to amend it, but Nkomo said this had not been the case. She admitted that the sports ministry was keeping a close eye on the submissions, as it was in the process of appointing a new board.

The submissions will be consolidated into a document that will form part of discussions at provincial conventions before the national convention in 2021.

Nkomo said conventions would not be a platform to discuss amendments but submissions made to regulations.

We opened this platform solely for that but our licensees refuse to co-operate.”

The process will now be taken over by the sports ministry, which will invite public participation before implementing the changes.