A logistical nightmare involving the shifting of a major boxing tournament from East London to Limpopo has forced the promoter to reconsider bringing the show back to the city again.
After a marathon meeting with national department of sport and SABC-TV in Johannesburg, yesterday promoter Ayanda Matiti of Xaba Promotions and Events convinced the parties involved to return the tournament to East London’s Orient Theatre.
Matiti had initially scheduled the show at Orient Theatre this Friday but shifted it to Limpopo’s Peter Mokaba Stadium after the department insisted that he moves the show to Limpopo.
However, the rearrangement proved a logistical nightmare as he had to fly boxers, officials and personnel to another destination in less than a week.
The show, which celebrates Heritage Month, will be headlined by the IBO intercontinental flyweight title clash between Mdantsane’s Makazole Tete against Mexican Armando Hernandez Torres with another Mdantsane drawcard Macbute Sinyabi defending his own featherweight version of the title against Sydney Skeleton Maluleka.
Duncan Village star Xolani Mcotheli will vie for the IBO intercontinental belt against Cape Town’s Vusumzi Tyatyeka.
Mdantsane boxer Mfusi Maxhayi will challenge Bongani Mahlangu for the SA junior-featherweight crown.
The department has insisted that September was Limpopo’s turn to get a televised tournament in line with the criteria of rotating televising boxing shows after the return of SABC-TV to boxing broadcasting.
The move has been a nightmare for Matiti and the national broadcaster.
“We are even struggling to get flights to the province let alone other logistics,” Matiti said before the meeting.
The public broadcaster was also reportedly not keen to go to Limpopo as the venue is not compliant with their broadcast requirements.
The decision to rotate televised tournaments has proven impractical.
For instance televising boxing in Mpumalanga last month proved a disaster with the province having to borrow boxers including the promoter of the show from the Eastern Cape.
Eastern Cape-born and Gauteng-based promoter Mbali Zantsi presented a tournament in the province using boxers from her province such as Mzonke Fana and Unathi Myekeni.
Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula, speaking at the relaunch of the broadcast in Birchwood, Boksburg on June 25 said the rotation would not work as the Eastern Cape was more active than others.
Matiti foresaw new issues returning his tournament to East London as he had put Orient Theatre on a standby.
Fight U-turn back to the Orient
After a marathon meeting with national department of sport and SABC-TV in Johannesburg, yesterday promoter Ayanda Matiti of Xaba Promotions and Events convinced the parties involved to return the tournament to East London’s Orient Theatre.
Matiti had initially scheduled the show at Orient Theatre this Friday but shifted it to Limpopo’s Peter Mokaba Stadium after the department insisted that he moves the show to Limpopo.
However, the rearrangement proved a logistical nightmare as he had to fly boxers, officials and personnel to another destination in less than a week.
The show, which celebrates Heritage Month, will be headlined by the IBO intercontinental flyweight title clash between Mdantsane’s Makazole Tete against Mexican Armando Hernandez Torres with another Mdantsane drawcard Macbute Sinyabi defending his own featherweight version of the title against Sydney Skeleton Maluleka.
Duncan Village star Xolani Mcotheli will vie for the IBO intercontinental belt against Cape Town’s Vusumzi Tyatyeka.
Mdantsane boxer Mfusi Maxhayi will challenge Bongani Mahlangu for the SA junior-featherweight crown.
The department has insisted that September was Limpopo’s turn to get a televised tournament in line with the criteria of rotating televising boxing shows after the return of SABC-TV to boxing broadcasting.
The move has been a nightmare for Matiti and the national broadcaster.
“We are even struggling to get flights to the province let alone other logistics,” Matiti said before the meeting.
The public broadcaster was also reportedly not keen to go to Limpopo as the venue is not compliant with their broadcast requirements.
The decision to rotate televised tournaments has proven impractical.
For instance televising boxing in Mpumalanga last month proved a disaster with the province having to borrow boxers including the promoter of the show from the Eastern Cape.
Eastern Cape-born and Gauteng-based promoter Mbali Zantsi presented a tournament in the province using boxers from her province such as Mzonke Fana and Unathi Myekeni.
Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula, speaking at the relaunch of the broadcast in Birchwood, Boksburg on June 25 said the rotation would not work as the Eastern Cape was more active than others.
Matiti foresaw new issues returning his tournament to East London as he had put Orient Theatre on a standby.
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