IT was glitz, glamour and gloves at the launch of the Premier Boxing League (PBL) at the East London Convention Centre on Thursday evening when the 16 boxers to drive the league were unveiled.
Attended by boxing stakeholders from across the country as well as local business people and government officials, the launch marked the new era in boxing which will see the selected boxers compete for supremacy in four weight divisions – flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight.
The project, a brainchild of former SABCTV boxing commentator Dicksy Ngqula, is bankrolled by, among others, the provincial department of Economic Development through the Gambling and Betting Board with the department’s MEC Mcebisi Jonas delivering a keynote address at the launch.
Jonas said his department’s involvement in the project was in line with the drive to reposition the province as the economic and sporting destination in the country.
“We in government want to help rewrite the boxing history of this province and this venture is in line with our vision,” Jonas said.
Jonas warned the people of the province against pulling each other down when one comes up with an idea to improve the welfare of the province.
“We need dreamers like Dicksy to succeed here,” he stressed.
Boxing SA chairperson Ngconde Balfour commended Jonas’ department for helping fund boxing events in the province.
While other provinces are battling to stage boxing tournaments in the wake of the blanket television blackout from SABC, the Eastern Cape is hosting a series of shows which has seen a number of provincial boxers winning national titles in succession.
“We are grateful to you and your department for looking after boxing,” said Balfour, who made a rare appearance at a boxing event since being appointed as the BSA chairperson.
Balfour said BSA did not hesitate to support the concept of the league when Ngqula pitched it to the structure.
“We saw this as the vehicle to take boxing to another level much like cricket, rugby and soccer,” Balfour added.
Other dignitaries included Buffalo City mayor Zukiswa Ncita who committed her municipality in supporting boxing and other sporting codes by upgrading facilities around the metro.
Jonas encouraged Ncita to use boxing as a catalyst to improve the welfare of the metro, adding that it was his department’s crucial component to support the sport despite the frowns he received from other sectors.
Ngqula who has been working on the concept for over four years, said the project was meant to add some punch to boxing in the country.
PBL is the first of its kind in the world and will be hosted across the country with East London the first city to stage its tournament.
Partners on board include E-tv and other media centres.
Besides the monthly fights to be screened live on E-tv in programmes called “fight nights”, the project will also include reality shows which will see all the athletes being followed by a roving camera in their daily lives such as shopping, training, schooling etc.
“We want to make boxers stars and role models,” he said.
All the selected fighters staged flamboyant entrances into the ring erected at the centre of the hall.
Launch of new League
Attended by boxing stakeholders from across the country as well as local business people and government officials, the launch marked the new era in boxing which will see the selected boxers compete for supremacy in four weight divisions – flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight.
The project, a brainchild of former SABCTV boxing commentator Dicksy Ngqula, is bankrolled by, among others, the provincial department of Economic Development through the Gambling and Betting Board with the department’s MEC Mcebisi Jonas delivering a keynote address at the launch.
Jonas said his department’s involvement in the project was in line with the drive to reposition the province as the economic and sporting destination in the country.
“We in government want to help rewrite the boxing history of this province and this venture is in line with our vision,” Jonas said.
Jonas warned the people of the province against pulling each other down when one comes up with an idea to improve the welfare of the province.
“We need dreamers like Dicksy to succeed here,” he stressed.
Boxing SA chairperson Ngconde Balfour commended Jonas’ department for helping fund boxing events in the province.
While other provinces are battling to stage boxing tournaments in the wake of the blanket television blackout from SABC, the Eastern Cape is hosting a series of shows which has seen a number of provincial boxers winning national titles in succession.
“We are grateful to you and your department for looking after boxing,” said Balfour, who made a rare appearance at a boxing event since being appointed as the BSA chairperson.
Balfour said BSA did not hesitate to support the concept of the league when Ngqula pitched it to the structure.
“We saw this as the vehicle to take boxing to another level much like cricket, rugby and soccer,” Balfour added.
Other dignitaries included Buffalo City mayor Zukiswa Ncita who committed her municipality in supporting boxing and other sporting codes by upgrading facilities around the metro.
Jonas encouraged Ncita to use boxing as a catalyst to improve the welfare of the metro, adding that it was his department’s crucial component to support the sport despite the frowns he received from other sectors.
Ngqula who has been working on the concept for over four years, said the project was meant to add some punch to boxing in the country.
PBL is the first of its kind in the world and will be hosted across the country with East London the first city to stage its tournament.
Partners on board include E-tv and other media centres.
Besides the monthly fights to be screened live on E-tv in programmes called “fight nights”, the project will also include reality shows which will see all the athletes being followed by a roving camera in their daily lives such as shopping, training, schooling etc.
“We want to make boxers stars and role models,” he said.
All the selected fighters staged flamboyant entrances into the ring erected at the centre of the hall.
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