BOXING superstar Floyd Mayweather will only spend four hours in East London on his whirlwind visit to the country which starts on Wednesday.
Mayweather is expected to fly from Johannesburg to Bloemfontein on Friday morning in a private jet.
He will then arrive in East London at around noon for a four-hour visit to conduct coaching clinics.
The brief visit to the city has left local boxing stakeholders disappointed since they had hoped Mayweather’s presence would contribute to the development of the sport in the boxing mad region.
Initially the Orient Theatre was considered a possible venue for the visit but was dismissed as it is too small to accommodate the expected crowds.
Boxing SA acting chief executive Loyiso Mtya said the Sisa Dukashe stadium in Mdantsane was now under consideration.
“We expect at least 20000 people to attend so unless we want a stampede we should look for a venue with capacity,” Mtya said.
He defended the brief visit, saying Mayweather had a tight schedule which the boxer had designed himself.
He will visit Soweto, Bloemfontein, East London and Cape Town.
“Truth is Mayweather took all of us by surprise when he called last Monday saying he would be arriving.”
Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula dropped the bombshell last Tuesday when he announced the unbeaten American would touch down at OR Tambo Airport on Wednesday for a four-city visit to the country which includes a brief stop in East London.
“Remember he was supposed to arrive here for the sports awards but he could not and we can hardly dictate his programme to him,” said Mtya.
“Let us all understand Mayweather is coming here because of an invitation from the sports department so we cannot dictate to the minister on how the visit should go,” he added.
Mayweather will be in the country to conduct coaching clinics as well as donate memorabilia including boxing regalia which will be auctioned at a gala dinner at Emperors Palace.
The dinner scheduled for Saturday will cost R15000 for a table of 10.
All proceeds will go to the Dube Boxing Club in Soweto which will be renamed the Baby Jake Matlala Boxing Club in memory of the late boxing legend who trained there.
While the local organising committee is working frantically to prepare for the visit, getting former boxers organised to attend the gala dinner is proving a headache.
Former world champion and the county’s lone boxer inducted into the International Hall of Fame, Brian Mitchell, has been tasked with arranging boxing legends to be present at the gala dinner.
But he admitted he was having a difficult time getting them together.
“Firstly I have not been given a budget to organise them and we all know that some of them do not live in Gauteng,” he said.
“For instance Vuyani Bungu, Mbulelo Botile and Welcome Ncita are in East London and I do not know how are they going to attend.
“I have to find Phillip Ndou, who is the only boxer here who has fought Mayweather. If he is in Limpopo he will need transport.”
Mitchell said he had submitted the names of former boxers to be invited to the Sports Ministry but had yet to hear anything further.
Scramble for Mayweather’s quick EL trip
Mayweather is expected to fly from Johannesburg to Bloemfontein on Friday morning in a private jet.
He will then arrive in East London at around noon for a four-hour visit to conduct coaching clinics.
The brief visit to the city has left local boxing stakeholders disappointed since they had hoped Mayweather’s presence would contribute to the development of the sport in the boxing mad region.
Initially the Orient Theatre was considered a possible venue for the visit but was dismissed as it is too small to accommodate the expected crowds.
Boxing SA acting chief executive Loyiso Mtya said the Sisa Dukashe stadium in Mdantsane was now under consideration.
“We expect at least 20000 people to attend so unless we want a stampede we should look for a venue with capacity,” Mtya said.
He defended the brief visit, saying Mayweather had a tight schedule which the boxer had designed himself.
He will visit Soweto, Bloemfontein, East London and Cape Town.
“Truth is Mayweather took all of us by surprise when he called last Monday saying he would be arriving.”
Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula dropped the bombshell last Tuesday when he announced the unbeaten American would touch down at OR Tambo Airport on Wednesday for a four-city visit to the country which includes a brief stop in East London.
“Remember he was supposed to arrive here for the sports awards but he could not and we can hardly dictate his programme to him,” said Mtya.
“Let us all understand Mayweather is coming here because of an invitation from the sports department so we cannot dictate to the minister on how the visit should go,” he added.
Mayweather will be in the country to conduct coaching clinics as well as donate memorabilia including boxing regalia which will be auctioned at a gala dinner at Emperors Palace.
The dinner scheduled for Saturday will cost R15000 for a table of 10.
All proceeds will go to the Dube Boxing Club in Soweto which will be renamed the Baby Jake Matlala Boxing Club in memory of the late boxing legend who trained there.
While the local organising committee is working frantically to prepare for the visit, getting former boxers organised to attend the gala dinner is proving a headache.
Former world champion and the county’s lone boxer inducted into the International Hall of Fame, Brian Mitchell, has been tasked with arranging boxing legends to be present at the gala dinner.
But he admitted he was having a difficult time getting them together.
“Firstly I have not been given a budget to organise them and we all know that some of them do not live in Gauteng,” he said.
“For instance Vuyani Bungu, Mbulelo Botile and Welcome Ncita are in East London and I do not know how are they going to attend.
“I have to find Phillip Ndou, who is the only boxer here who has fought Mayweather. If he is in Limpopo he will need transport.”
Mitchell said he had submitted the names of former boxers to be invited to the Sports Ministry but had yet to hear anything further.
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