With the much-talked about South African lightweight title contest between the current champion, Khaya Busakwe, and challenger, Siyabulela Hem, just less than three weeks away, Lonwabo Witbooi has put Boxing South Africa (BSA) in a tight spot.
Witbooi has written to BSA informing the fistic regulator that his boxer, Hlumelo Gingxana, who was overlooked for the national title challenge even though he’s the mandatory challenger to the SA lightweight crown, has lodged a challenge to fight against the winner between Busakwe and Hem.
Duncan Village-born Hem has jumped three divisions from junior-featherweight to lightweight to challenge Busakwe at Selborne Park in KuGompo City on Saturday, 26 September.
“In light of the fact that the current champion, Khaya Busakwe, is scheduled to defend his title against reigning South African junior-featherweight champion, Siyabulela Hem, I am under the impression that Hem’s camp beat me in the race of submitting a challenge form (on behalf of Hlumelo Gingxana) for the SA lightweight title,” Witbooi wrote.
The KuGompo City-based trainer-cum-manager further said: “Considering that Hlumelo is the mandatory challenger and the champion was due for a mandatory defence, I formally request that the winner between Busakwe and Hem defend their title against the mandatory contender, Hlumelo Gingxana.”
Gingxana from Braelyn in KuGompo City is the reigning International Boxing Organisation (IBO) All-Africa lightweight champion. He bagged the title after he defeated Mbuyiseli Ndukwana from Knysna at Gqeberha’s Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium early in June. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
