Duduza – Boxers from Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West participated in the Open Boxing League Blue Corner held at Duduza Multipurpose Centre over the weekend.
Eighteen boxers participated in the quarter-finals of the championship.
The tournament has been running since September 30.
The finals will be held on October 28 in the Eastern Cape.
Boxing developer Hazert Hlophe says he is proud the province will be represented in the semi-finals.
“Gauteng will be fighting against Eastern Cape, while Limpopo will challenge KZN.
“We are hoping that Gauteng will be making it to the finals.
“It is unfortunate that we don’t have any fighters from Ekurhuleni who will be participating in the finals,” he says.
Hazert says they are calling on the clubs in Ekurhuleni to work hard to reclaim their championship title.
“We have through the years been able to be crowned as champions and were part of the national team.
“We want our fighters to participate in the world championships again.
“We will only be able to achieve this if we work hard together as a union.
“We are hoping that Gauteng will bring the crown back home and make us proud,” he says.
Hazert says they are calling on residents and parents to support and encourage young people to participate in sports.
“Sports help and groom them to become responsible young people.
“They don’t have time to loiter around and participate in wrong things which include crime and other social ills.
“We also need the support of local business people to assist where they can with the transportation of the players to their games and donations of the kit,” he says.