Boxing trainer Khangelani Jack and his boxer Siphamandla Baleni heaved a sigh of relief after stepping out of the plane and touched the ground at the OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park on Thursday morning.
Jack and Baleni have a very good reason to feel relieved about being back in South Africa after they were stranded in Asia for more than a week. The award-winning trainer together with the former South African minimumweight and junior-flyweight champion were stranded in Asia since the boxer’s loss to Filipino opponent Regie Suganob in the Philippines last month.
“We have landed at the OR Tambo International Airport,” a relieved Jack, who is a 2023 Trainer of the Year award winner, said on Thursday morning.
Initially, Jack and Baleni were due to have flown out of the Philippines via Doha, Qatar, on Sunday last week, but they remained in Manila as 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 attacked Iran. With Iran retaliating by bombing US military bases in the Middle East, Jack and Baleni’s travelling arrangements were messed up.
They finally flew out of Manila for Singapore last Saturday. Unfortunately, they couldn’t continue with their journey as they missed two connecting flights, which would have taken them to either Malaysia or Ethiopia before getting the last one to the OR Tambo International Airport.
The Department of Sport, Boxing South Africa (BSA), South African High Commission in Singapore and Filipino promoter Floriezyl Podot from PMI Bohol Boxing Promotions played a massive role in making sure that Jack and Baleni returned home safely.
Meanwhile, Jack from Mdantsane and Mthatha-born Baleni are going to proceed with their journey to KuGompo City on Thursday afternoon.- Monwabisi Jimlongo
