Title-chasing Khanyile ‘Man Dee’ Bulana, his trainer Kholisile ‘KC’ Cengani, assistant trainers Xola Sifama and Lonwabo Witbooi are nowhere near Cape Town where the boxer is due to challenge for a South African title on Friday evening.
Bulana, Cengani, Sifama and Witbooi are stuck at the King Phalo Airport in East London trying to get a flight to Cape Town. Bulana is scheduled to challenge SA junior-lightweight champion Lunga Sitemela at the Vibrant Sports Centre in Ottery, Cape Town.
“We decided to do the weigh-in here in East London. We have been waiting for our tickets and we have been sent from pillar to post. We arrived at the airport early and found out that no flight was booked for us. We then returned to our homes after waiting for some time,” Cengani said on Thursday afternoon.
“Later on, I got a message asking us to rush to the airport for a 15h20 flight. The message came at five minutes to two. I was already home and the boxer was at his home as well. We rushed to the airport and then missed the flight because we had no tickets.
“We have asked them to hire a car for us to drive to Gqebera and sleep over there for a quarter past eight flight tomorrow morning. This is a bad experience. I don’t know whether this is a plot or not.”
Ink Sport listened to a voice note, which was sent to Cengani by Jackie Brice of Jackie Brice Boxing Promotions and it said: “Hi KC, your flight is, I think, at quarter past three. Whatever you needed to do there, cancel everything, we can do it in Cape Town tomorrow morning (Friday) with the doctor everything. I will take you to the doctor. You guys must please be on that flight. I’m just waiting for the confirmation of the ticket.”
Contacted for comment, Brice didn’t pick up his phone. Instead, he sent a text message saying he was in a meeting.
