CHAMPS SET TO LOSE TITLES
Ngatane tells boxers to make defences
SOUTH African champions who failed to meet Boxing SA’s ultimatum of making their mandatory defences before May 31 are not off the hook yet, chairman of the championship sanctioning committee Peter Ngatane told Sowetan yesterday.
Ngatane wrote to 11 national champions last month advising them to get inside the ring before the cut-off date and defend, or kiss their titles goodbye.
But none heeded this call and June is already halfway towards the end.
“Some of them wrote to us asking for the extension. We are looking into it,” said Ngatane, who served as chairman of the most successful and now defunct Gauteng Provincial Boxing Control Commission.
He warned last month that all national champions could not engage in any other fight except to defend their titles.
But Mabhuti Sinyabi – one of those champions will instead defend his IBO International featherweight strap against Tanzanian Francis Miyeyusho at the Orient Theatre tonight. Sinyabi holds the SA belt.
Also to feature in that East London tournament of Zbashy Promotions and Events will be junior featherweight – and lightweight holders Bongani Mahlangu and Jasper Seroka, who will defend against Bonakele Bikitsha and Aphiwe Mboyiya respectively. The tournament, the first for female promoter Songile Matiti, will also feature an IBF Africa junior bantamweight championship fight between Makazole Tete and Tanzanian Ramadani Kumbele. Ngatane said he was avoiding a situation where champions were to be ordered to make their defences in boxing gyms as it is the last available avenue before BSA can resort to stripping them of their belts. “I am getting a legal opinion regarding that route because it is unfair to the challenger to fight in the gym and not get paid,” he said. The affected champions are Ryno Liebenberg (light heavyweight); Balemo Weliya (super middleweight); Christopher Buthelezi (middleweight); Nkululeko Mhlongo (junior middleweight); Sean Ness; Mzonke Fana (lightweight); Seroka; Sinyabi; Mahlangu; Toto Helebe (bantamweight); and Bongani Silila (junior flyweight).