With airspace of a number of Asian countries being closed due to the United States of America (USA) and Israel bombing Iran, Siphamandla ‘Toytoy’ Baleni and his trainer Khangelani Jack have found themselves stranded in the Philippines.
After being stopped in the eighth round by Regie ‘The Filipino Phenom’ Suganob in Tagbilaran City in Bohol on Saturday, Baleni and Jack spent hours at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila not knowing what their next move was going to be.
“We are unable to get out of Manila due to closed airspace. We have been here for more than 10 hours. The promoter has called telling us that he’s booking us at a hotel as he is still trying to get us another flight out of the country. He wants us to connect in another place, not Doha where we should have connected. Maybe we will fly to Sydney or Singapore,” Jack said from Manila.
Mthatha-born Baleni and Jack from Mdantsane were due to have left the Philippines for South Africa via Doha in Qatar on Sunday, however, the continued airstrikes by the Americans and Israeli on Iran have delayed their departure as bombs continue to fall and rockets and missiles are being launched in the Middle East.
The Americans and Israeli have been bombing Iran the whole weekend and the bombings resulted in the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
