BSA right hooks suspect pro decisions

Change-over committee now gets new faces

BOXING SA has cracked the whip by revamping the change-over committee responsible for passing of amateur boxers to the professional ranks.

The change-over window period kicked off in Gauteng where boxers from the province were passed to the paid ranks a fortnight ago.

The change-over moved to Port Elizabeth last weekend where a sizable number also qualified, giving hopes of a boxing revival to the region that produced some of the best boxers in the land.

This Sunday will be the turn of East London, King William’s Town, Peddie and former Transkei to produce yet another talent that will make its name in the fistic game.

This when Sisonke Boxing Club at NU8 Mdantsane becomes a hive of boxing activities as aspirant boxers try to convince the changeover committee to allow them to enter the professional ranks.

But BSA has now tightened the screws for qualification after it revamped the responsible committee previously consisting of representatives from promoters, managers and trainers as well as matchmaker Luyanda Kana.

Now a committee consisting only of ring officials including those from SA National Boxing Organisation (Sanabo) will oversee the change-over and take decisions on whether youngsters are good enough to fight for pay.

This after allegations surfaced that the committee had a conflict of interest with unconfirmed reports that some promoters pass over boxers who are not good enough.

BSA-Eastern Cape manager Phakamile Jacobs confirmed the allegations influenced the regulatory body to revamp the committee. “Yes there was a feeling that some members of the committee had vested interest in the process and were looking after their own interest,” said Jacobs.

While this might have produced boxers that are not good enough in other regions, it is unlikely to be the case in the Eastern Cape which is awash with talent.

Research shows that almost every male born in the East London knows a thing or two about boxing having at a certain stage trained in a boxing club.

Jacobs refused to be drawn into the debate insisting that the decision was taken by the national office.

The committee qualified over 50 boxers last year half of which could not get action.

Jacobs admitted that the addition of other boxers to the number was a cause for concern for BSA.

“We are hoping that promoters will do their utmost best to organise tournaments so that these boys can get activity,” he said.

“Who knows? Maybe there is a world champion among those boxers who were kept idle.”

Only boxers above 18 years will be allowed to be tested while those who have been inactive for more than three years will not be accommodated.

Jacobs said boxers who have not fought for over three years will not be allowed back in the ring.

“If they want to be involved in boxing they can either take a licence of being a manager, trainer or promoter not for being a boxer.”

This is expected to spark controversy as there is a grey area in this rule.

The cut-off age of 18 years is another contentious issue at which BSA has been challenged before.

For instance, the late Mveleli Luzipho still holds the record as the youngest national champion when he won the SA professional junior-flyweight title aged just 17 years.

There has been questions about how he was allowed to slip through the red tape.