Hunter plays by her rules to give boxing a make-over

Promoter Shereen Hunter is giving local boxing a make-over, using her tournament at SABC on Sunday afternoon to grow the sport through finding more sponsors and implementing outreach programmes. 

As a woman the Unleashed Combat Sport Events boss has found resistance from some men who, like dinosaurs, have been in the game for years, but with her background in public relations and marketing, Hunter is playing by her own rules. 

“People say there can be no boxing without boxers. I say ‘no, it starts with sponsors’. Without sponsors there is no boxing,” said Hunter, who hosted a series of events in the build-up to Sunday’s tournament. 

One was a seminar for boxers, coaches and managers to learn how to pitch for sponsorships. 

On Friday night she also threw a bash for her sponsors and other corporates she believed were keen to invest in boxing. “I don’t mind if they choose to sponsor other promoters — it’ll be good for the sport.”

But the business side is only part of Hunter’s boxing passion. 

She’s also orchestrating the refurbishment of the gym at Leeuwkop Prison, working with Correctional Services and using the help of her fellow Rotarian Annemarie Mostert, who created a band and choir made up of inmates there in the 1990s.

A human dynamo, Mostert used her performing arts background to work with prisoners and help them reintegrate into society.

She collected musical instruments from the bands of old homeland militaries in the early 1990s and created a band and choir. “You never know how your investment of time and effort will work out,” Mostert said, adding that one man she had worked with approached her one day and told her that he’d formed bands in Soweto, one of which was chosen to play in London.

Hunter is donating the ring she bought from ace trainer Norman Hlabane, who produced Dingaan Thobela and worked with Lehlohonolo Ledwaba. And she has also roped gym equipment manufacturer Damascus into the project, as well as two ex-convicts. 

Eastern Cape matchmaker Luyanda Kana, a political prisoner sentenced to death for his role in necklacing murders in the 1980s, met the future cabinet minister Arnold Stofile in Middledrift.

“He told us that we need to fight crime and gangsterism using boxing,” recalled Kana, who has groomed former inmates into good professional boxers. 

He has transformed some into national professional champions, notably featherweight Sabelo Jubatha and junior-bantamweight Lindile Tshemese.

Also being drafted in is boxer Jarred Silverman, who himself was recently released from Leeuwkop after serving time for attempted murder. Silverman turned his life around with the help of Hunter’s late husband Lionel, who himself did much work in prisons.  

Hunter’s ultimate goal is to refurbish gyms at all jails across the country. 

On the sport side of boxing, unbeaten light-heavyweight Luvuyo Sizani of East London fights for the first time since March last year as he faces Jackson Masamba in the main bout. Sizani’s ABU South belt is on the line.

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.