South Africa’s Olympic boxing hopes may still be salvaged after the country’s amateur body announced that it would decide whether to join World Boxing in June.
The South African National Boxing Organisation (Sanabo) is one of the federations yet to cross over to WB, which was provisionally granted status by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in February to oversee boxing at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The body, led by Dutchman Boris van der Vorst, is a breakaway group from the International Boxing Association (IBA), formed in April 2023 and has been growing its membership.
The IOC suspended the IBA from overseeing boxing at the 2016 Rio Olympics before finally banning it at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games and subsequent 2024 Paris showpiece.
There were fears that boxing would not be included in Los Angeles, but after the election of the new IOC president, Kirsty Coventry, in Greece in March, the sport, which had been part of the Olympic calendar since 1904, was given the green light.
However, South African boxers would still miss out unless Sanabo follows scores of federations that have jumped ship.
Sanabo president Siyabulela Mkwalo said the body was still considering joining WB after the IBA allowed its members to take a dual membership with the rival body.
“The decision on whether we exercise the dual membership option presented by the IBA would be debated at our congress in June in a venue yet to be confirmed,” he said.
Mkwalo defended the move to remain with the IBA-led by Russian Umar Kremlev and allegedly funded by the country’s coffers, arguing that the body was helping underprivileged federations to participate in its lucrative championships.
Among the reasons for strained relations between the IOC and the IBA was the lack of transparency about the amateur body’s funding, which has seen it offering mouthwatering prizes to boxers competing in its events.
The IBA has been able to assist struggling federations with travelling costs, accommodation and meals to its championships, having done so for South African boxers.
This has led to reluctance by continental federations to dump it in favour of the new body, which is still trying to source funding, though most European federations, including Britain and the US, have long joined in.
WB also secured the big fish when it was joined by China but is yet to make major inroads in Africa with fewer than 15 affiliates.
While the Sanabo leadership is yet to make a decision, it will be interesting if a new executive comes on board, as the June congress will also be an elective gathering.
Mkwalo said the body had been engaging with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) and the sports ministry regarding Olympic boxing developments.
South Africa has not sent boxers to the Olympics since the 2012 London Games when Mdantsane Simpiwe Lusizi and Ayabonga Sonjica from Duncan Village blazed the trail.
Pre-1990s he sport was once one of the main sources of medals for the country at the Games, in the vein swimming is now. Boxing has reaped the third-most medals of any sport for South Africa with 19 (six gold, four silver, nine bronze) after athletics (30 medals) and swimming (22).
Daily Dispatch
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