Women pugilists to go pound-for-pound

26 August 2015

 

The City of Johannesburg will close-off Women’s Month with a fistful event when they host a Women’s Boxing Tournament in partnership with Ethembeni Promotion, at Cosmo City Multipurpose Complex, on Friday, 28 August 2015 at 7h30pm.

 

The City of Johannesburg has partnered with Ethembeni Promotion in its ongoing efforts of promoting and reviving what was once a popular sport, particularly in townships. Similar tournaments have been piloted and supported in other regions as well as the one that was held recently in Lenasia as well as in Meadowlands, Soweto. The latter was held in conjunction with the Mayisela Champs.

 

In addition, the City has entered into a partnership with Professional Boxing League (PBL), in its endeavor to promote boxing as a sporting code as well as resuscitate this sport, especially in disadvantaged areas. “To this end, as the City we have in the past financial year assisted several clubs and federations where we have collaborated on several fronts such, giving access to venues at no costs, supply equipment and other services such as municipal services towards programmes,”, Cllr. Chris Vondo: MMC for Community Development explained.

MMC Vondo added: “Therefore, this latest partnership with Ethembeni Promotions means that we are now spreading to all the seven regions, which is our aim. Through this tournament we hope to inspire and encourage females and males, boys and girls of Cosmo City including surrounding settlements such as Kya Sands, Zandspruit, Diepsloot to take to boxing not only as a sport but a discipline”.

 

Headlining the bout is Melissa Miller from Eldorado Park, who will face-off with Uganda’s Natalia Banie in an international contest over ten rounds. Entrance is free.