There’s hope that award-winning boxing trainer Khangelani Jack and his boxer Siphamandla Baleni might return home sooner than the 15th of March as Boxing South Africa (BSA) is also trying to help them.
Jack and Baleni, a former South African minimumweight and junior-flyweight champion, have been stranded in Asia since the Mthatha boxer’s loss to Filipino opponent Regie Suganob in the Philippines more than a week ago. They were due to have flown out of the Philippines via Doha, Qatar, last Sunday, but they couldn’t travel because of closed airspace in most Asian countries.
The airspace was closed after the United States of America (USA) and Israel launched missile attacks and bombed Iran something which messed up Jack and Baleni’s travelling arrangements.
They, however, finally flew out of Manila for Singapore this past Saturday. Unfortunately, they couldn’t continue with their journey as they missed connecting flights, which would have taken them to either Malaysia or Ethiopia before getting the last one to the OR Tambo International Airport.
“Mr Mandla Ntlanganiso from BSA has been in touch with us. He has assured us that they are doing their utmost best to make sure that we return home early. Also the promoter (Floriezyl Podot) has secured tickets for us to leave on the 12th instead of next Sunday. We are very happy with what BSA and the promoter are doing,” Jack from Mdantsane said on Monday.
Contacted for comment, Mandla Ntlanganiso, BSA director of operations, said: “I have been talking to them since Monday last week. We are trying to help them and we have since contacted relevant people who will assist them.”
Initially, Jack and Baleni were stranded in Manila and spent more than 12 hours at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila before Floriezyl Podot from PMI Bohol Boxing Promotions booked them hotel rooms last Monday. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
