South African featherweight champion Asanda Gingqi from Mdantsane is set to spend his first Christmas outside South Africa.
Gingqi, who won the national featherweight title after he outpointed Abdul-Aziz Kunert in September, is scheduled to face Russian Olympic gold medallist Albert Batyrgaziev in Russia on Christmas eve. The two boxers are going to fight in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) Intercontinental featherweight title contest on Friday, 24 December.
“Yes, the fight is still on. We should be leaving for Russia next week. This is going to be the first time that I will spend Christmas outside South Africa,” Gingqi said.
Gingqi, who has won all his seven fights with five of them on stoppages, will leave for Russia together with his trainer Velile Damoyi and his manager Khanyisa Jekwa.
Meanwhile, Batyrgaziev made history when he became the first professional boxer to win an Olympic gold medal after he defeated American Duke Ragan at the Tokyo Olympics, Japan, in August.
The 23-year-old Russian has stopped all his four opponents including South African boxer Sibusiso Zingange. Batyrgaziev has an impressive amateur record where he won 52 fights with six of those via the short distance and three losses.
