Promoters hot under collar over BSA U-turn

A meeting between the Eastern Cape Promoters Association  (ECPA) and the Boxing SA board that was hailed a success by both parties, has now revived fresh calls by the promoters for the board’s members to step down.

This follows a memo by BSA sent to promoters nullifying almost all the issues agreed on at the October 11 meeting at OR Tambo International Airport.

ECPA and BSA finally met to find a lasting solution to the litany of problems rocking the two parties including the cancellation of tournaments by the board for what it says is the failure of promoters to adhere to compliance issues.

These include the board’s insistence that purse-monies of boxers be deposited 30 days in advance as per Section 11 (4) of Boxing Regulations.

But the meeting resolved that the 30-day notice is not reflected by the Boxing Act of 2001 and therefore was not applicable.

Since the current board came to office, it has been on a collision course with the promoters, with the former taking it to court three times, and winning each time.

Last month’s day-long meeting resolved to allow promoters to deposit purse-monies not later than the day before the weigh-in.

But in a shock twist, BSA has since sent a memo to promoters nullifying the resolution taken at the meeting.

The memo by Department of Sports and Recreation senior manager Masilo Maake, who was seconded at the BSA office following the suspension of acting chief executive Loyiso Mtya, said the 30-day notice would stand as per Section 11 (4) of the regulations.

BSA had argued that depositing purse-monies 30 days in advance was in compliance with the auditor-general’s demands.

However, BSA has been getting a clean audit report even though promoters had been submitting purse-monies a day before the weigh-in.

BSA recently obtained a clean audit report for the last financial year.

The memo states that promoters would have to deposit the purse-monies at least 14 days before the tournament and the order is non-negotiable.

“The board, having considered inputs from various stakeholders, has resolved to fix the deadline to deposit purse-monies by promoters to 14 days before the actual date of the tournament,” the memo reads.

In response, ECPA secretary Andile Sidinile has written a strongly-worded letter to the board questioning the reversal of the resolutions taken at the meeting. “It is with greatest regret and a huge amount of disappointment that after a lengthy meeting paid for by the taxpayers and promoters individually, we would get such retrogressive memos from BSA,” Sidinile wrote.

At a tournament in Cathcart last weekend, a petition was signed by boxing stakeholders demanding the board members’ resign.

“We do not want to continue to fight in court chambers but in the ring but the actions of the BSA board leave us with no choice but to call them to step down,”

ECPA executive member Bongani Zulu said to loud applause in the hall before the start of the main bout between Mfusi Maxhayi and Unathi Gqokoma.

Sidinile said the petition would be sent to parliament’s sports portfolio committee, as well as Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula.