If you thought it was bad when Khangelani Jack and Siphamandla Baleni were stranded in the Philippines, then think again as the trainer and boxer are now holed up at a Singapore airport after leaving Manila on Saturday.
After flying out of Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila for Singapore, Jack and Baleni missed two connecting flights, which were going to take them to either Malaysia or Ethiopia before getting the last one to OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni.
“We are in Singapore. We missed our flight because of delays in getting our luggage. We missed two different flights, which were going to Malaysia and Ethiopia. We are stuck here now,” Jack, a 2023 Trainer of the Year award winner, said.
“We are going to be here until the 15th of this month because all flights are fully booked. This is a difficult experience and we can’t even go out of the airport because we have no visas. Truth be told, I miss my home now. We never prepared ourselves for this.”
Initially, Jack and Baleni, a former South African minimumweight and junior-flyweight champion, were due to have flown out of the Philippines via Doha, Qatar, last Sunday, a day after the fight against Filipino boxer Regie Suganob, however, they couldn’t leave for South Africa following the United States of America (USA) and Israel bombing of Iran something which resulted in the closing of airspace in a number of Asian countries.
And after travelling from Bohol ladt Sunday following Baleni’s eighth round stoppage loss to Suganob, they spent more than 12 hours stranded at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila before Floriezyl Podot from PMI Bohol Boxing Promotions booked them at a hotel last Monday. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
No, no , no, this can’t be right . This is hostage at its best . I would love to know what our Sports Ministry & International Relations have to say about this .