More than 360 non-professional boxers, both men and women representing a total of 41 nations, are set to feature in the inaugural Mandela African Boxing Cup tournament.
This has been scheduled to take place from 15 to 21 April at the Durban International Convention Centre.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) announced that the family of the late state president Nelson Mandela had given their blessing for the naming of the competition after the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize recipient.
Chris Roberts OBE, the IBA’s secretary general and chief executive officer (CEO), said the competition would pay tribute to and honour the spirit of Mandiba, his leadership, activism for sport, and advocacy for peace.
“Our decision to name the competition after one of the world’s most inspirational personalities is with reason and great respect. Let us take Mandela’s dedication to boxing as a strong inspiration for young generations and glorify his name through the Mandela Cup to make it a yearly tradition,” said Roberts.
He stated that there were great lessons to take from the life of Mandela and his resilience in the struggle for freedom.
As a result, the Thembekile Mandela Foundation supports the tournament, working in partnership with the IBA, founded by its current CEO and Mandela’s granddaughter, Ndileka Mandela.
When incarcerated as a political prisoner during the apartheid regime in South Africa, Mandela practised boxing as a means of self-discipline and to support his mental health, calling the sport “egalitarian”, due to its ability to transcend race, religion, or wealth.
In his autobiography, Mandela ruminated on the life lessons he had learned from the sport.
The tournament is organised by the IBA in partnership with the African Boxing Confederation (AFBC) and the South African Boxing Organisation (Sanabo). It will feature 12 women’s and 13 men’s weight categories.
Siyabulela Mkwalo, president of Sanabo, has explained the significance of the event.
“South Africa celebrates the staging of this event as it symbolises our recognition of the role played by Nelson Mandela in fighting for liberation of our country from apartheid, whilst promoting worldwide peace and stability. It is our considered view that this event will educate and inspire many young African men and women from all walks of life to follow on his achievements.”
The staging of the competition ties in with South Africa’s celebration of Freedom Month during April, memorable with the country’s first-ever non-racial election in 1994. Boxers are expected to congregate in Durban to showcase their talent over seven days, across the different divisions.
One of their arguments included that the boxers were in different weight categories.
Phiri weighed 63kg at lightweight, while Simon Junior weighed 66kg at welterweight.
Their request for an arbitration has now been heeded.
“Yes, we have written to both parties, that is Lion Heart of America and Otto Boxing Club of Harare, advising them of the arbitration date,” confirmed Kadungure Wednesday.
–news24.com
