Acting Boxing South Africa (BSA) chief executive officer Tsholofelo Lejaka is pleased with the performance of South Africa’s only three participants in the WBC Grand Prix in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which started on Thursday last week.
Bekizizwe Maitse, Ntethelelo Nkosi and Keaton Gomes won their fights in their respective divisions in the WBC Grand Prix. Maitse defeated Colombian boxer Rodolfo Puentes while Nkosi stopped Marwan Mohamad Madboly from Egypt with Gomes overcoming Mexican Roberto Medina Aguirre.
“The triple win of our South African trio – Bekizizwe Maitse, Ntethelelo Nkosi and Keaton Gomes – who are competing at the WBC Grand Prix means a lot for the country’s boxing fraternity and is greatly appreciated,” Lejaka said.
“This comes at the backdrop of serious discussions as to why our boxers are not making it abroad recently? For the year 2024/25, out of 20 boxers who fought abroad, only Phumelela Cafu, Xolisani Ndongeni and Thulani Mbenge, who came back with victories, which is a cause for concern for the regulator.”
Lejaka added: “Maitse, Nkosi and Gomes convincingly stamped their authority in the first round of the series. We have a firm belief that SA has talent and if our boxers are given enough time to prepare against international opponents of equal standards, we will go back to snatching those victories abroad.”
The three South African boxers are now through to the next round of the WBC Grand Prix, which is going to take place in June.
“It is a victory on its own for our boxers to be chosen to participate and we must support them to continue winning the next rounds of the series,” Lejaka concluded. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
