New board must guard SA prestige
Current BSA board did well for local champs
The outgoing board of Boxing SA was unsuccessful in implementing all the plans it had during its three-year term of office but one thing this seven-member team did so well was to rekindle the importance of being the South African champion.
The prestige of being a national titlist had been lost due to lesser recognised titles – Pan African, intercontinental and SADC titles – that were unfairly given massive preference by promoters. These lesser recognised titles don’t take SA boxers anywhere but instead generate lots of money for those sanctioning bodies through sanctioning fees.
But since BSA embarked on a journey to revive the domestic title, every boxer wants to become a South African champion.
The board, chaired by Peter Ngatane with Khulile Radu, Luthando Jack, Mzamo Gumbi, Matilda Kabini, Gilberto Martins and Letlhogonolo NogeTungamirai the other members, was appointed by then sport minister Thulas Nxesi in December 2017.
Current sport minister Nathi Mthethwa is expected to usher in new members in
December.
Ngatane and company should be commended for a job well done in making licensees understand and appreciate the importance of ruling here at home first before attempting to conquer the world.
Back in the day, a boxer had to be a SA champion first before looking any further. That is the journey travelled by the likes of Gerrie Coetzee, Peter Mathebula, Jacob Matlala, Thulani Malinga, Dingaan Thobela, Brian Mitchell, Welcome Ncita, Vuyani Bungu, Peter Malinga, Lehlohonolo Ledwada and Moruti Mthalane to eventually become respected world champions.
The response BSA received from licensees when it revived the SA title was amazing. Veteran boxers Barend van Rooyen and Walter Dlamini would not quit the sport before winning national titles.
Van Rooyen – who had retired in 2003 after twice failing to win the domestic title – came back in 2015 and he fulfilled his dream in 2017.
Ushered to battle by trainer Damien Durandt, the 39-year veteran stopped Yanga Phetani in the sixth round for the middleweight belt. Dlamini did it in 42 seconds as he pummelled defending middleweight champion Wade Groth in 2018. Dlamini, 38, who was trained by Lionel Hunter, had lost in his bid to oust Christopher Buthelezi in 2014.
Stylish junior-middleweight champion Nkululeko Mhlongo wrote his own history when, while still holding that national belt, he added the middleweight strap after destroying Dlamini in the fourth round in October last year. Mhlongo, trained by Vusi Mtolo, later relinquished the junior-middleweight belt and kept the middleweight diadem.
Hopefully, when boxing comes back after national lockdown – which knocked the sport out for the count – the new board will continue where Ngatane and company will have left off.