More jabs in broadcast row

THE highly publicised return of SABC to boxing broadcast might turn out to be a damp squib after it emerged that the impasse that led to the blackout is yet to be resolved.

The public broadcaster announced that boxing would return to the small screen after it resolved the dispute with Johannesburg promoter Branco Milenkovic who had taken Boxing SA to court for wanting to take control of the television rights from promoters.

BSA argued that the rights belonged to the structure and not to promoters as is the practice throughout the world.

Milenkovic challenged the decision leading to a long drawn out court case which resulted in the public broadcaster giving the sport a three-year blackout.

However, at last September’s national boxing indaba in Pretoria BSA said it would still allow promoters to negotiate directly with the broadcasters for world title fights but it would play a role in national and provincial fights.

BSA would secure the rights and allow the promoters to apply for them.

Then SABC acting chief operations officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng and Milenkovic announced that they had resolved the dispute and boxing would be back on our screens by May.

In a January 23 meeting at SABC headquarters at Kempton Park, promoters were asked to bid for the boxing broadcast relaunch this month.

Milenkovic, Motsoeneng and Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula even went on national radio to announce the truce.

But since then nothing has been finalised with Milenkovic expressing disappointment by the failure of SABC and Mbalula’s office to take the matter forward.

“If you recall that Hlaudi and the minister announced that their lawyers would meet mine and resolve the matter within seven days,” said Milenkovic.

“Well that never happened and when my lawyers pursued the matter letters were not only (not) replied (to but) there was never even an acknowledgment.”

Milenkovic added that he, BSA represantatives and department legal representatives met in Pretoria on March 11 where he was asked to drop the case.

When he asked to be furnished with a written confirmation that the television rights would remain with the promoters, he was turned down.

“Then I asked for the resolution of the September indaba but again nothing has been forthcoming eight months after the event.”

Mbalula refused to comment on the matter when asked about the resolutions of the indaba, besides saying his office stood by the announcement he made that boxing would return to TV screens this month.

“I am not going to comment on other issues but I still stand by what I said,” he said, refusing to also confirm if his lawyers had met with Milenkovic’s.

Motsoeneng could also not return questions sent to him.

Milenkovic said it was disappointing that Mbalula went on radio and announced the return of boxing on television when nothing had been done to resolve the impasse.

“I have kept quiet for four months about this matter and I am even commenting about it because you asked me but nothing has been done to resolve it,” he said.

The latest development will come as a huge setback for promoters as some, such as Ayanda Matiti of Xaba Promotions, had scheduled big tournaments to land an SABC boxing broadcast relaunch deal.

Matiti, who has scheduled a boxing blockbuster tournament featuring a world title as well as three national titles in East London on May 24, could not say if he would call off the event.