LIMPOPO – The department has partnered with Limpopo Boxing Association and Amateur Boxing organisation to resuscitate boxing in the province.
The MEC for Sport, Onicca Moloi, said the department has the responsibility to revive boxing, which is slowly dying.
“The department has not hosted or co-hosted any professional boxing tournament in the province for about six years. With five boxing promoters registered with Boxing South Africa, Limpopo is yet to stage a single tournament in more than a year. The province used to be one of boxing’s strongholds in the country. Now boxing is slowly dying,” said the MEC.
The Chairperson of Limpopo Boxing Association, Josias Maphepha, said: “We will be hosting six tournaments this year, two of which will be fully funded by the Department of Sport. The remaining four tournaments still don’t have sponsors and we are still knocking on doors requesting more partners to join hands with us.”
The CEO of Boxing South Africa, Tsholofelo Lejaka, said promoters often differ among themselves due to greed and an unwillingness to share the fruit.
“We need to rebuild and reposition boxing in the province in a way that it will be welcomed and celebrated by the youth,” said Lejaka.
The first tournament of the six will be staged on 25 August in Seshego outside Polokwane.
