The tournament will simultaneously also accommodate the long delayed inter-provincial championship for elite and youth boxers.
The Frances Baard Boxing Organisation (FBBO) will on Saturday stage a district based elimination bout to select youngsters who will head to the national championship which will be staged under the auspices of the South African National Boxing Organisation (Sanbo).
FBBO secretary Archie Jack explained that the tournament will simultaneously also accommodate the long delayed inter-provincial championship for elite and youth boxers.
Jack said the district tournament on Saturday will be held at the Mayibuye Multipurpose Complex in Galeshewe starting at 12 noon. “The championship here (at district level) will be for school-aged girls and boys including juniors. Elite and youth boxers will also be allowed.”
Jack announced that the FBBO organisers have cast the net wide for the tournament in order to host competitive elimination bouts at district level. “We have invited the provincial team of the Free State. They will be bringing about 30 boxers to the tournament. Those fighters will compete against our provincial team. Our team was selected some time ago at a tournament we held at Van Zylsrus some time ago.
“At that time due to financial constraints we could not take those elite and youth teams to the national championships. So we have organised an inter-provincial game for them against the Free State that will also be staged here on Saturday.
“The clubs we have invited include Home Defenders Boxing Club, Freedom Boxing Club, Babontshe Boxing Club, NC Academy Boxing and Platinum Boxing Club. These will strictly participate in the juniors championship tournament.
There will also be women and girls who will be among the competing boxers as we want to take at least a minimum of female boxers to the national championships.”
Jack said the situation as regards female boxers affiliated with clubs was steadily improving as some of the clubs have female boxers on their books.
“As far as amateur female boxers are concerned we have noted that for instance Babontshe Boxing Club from Phuthanang has three to four females as does Home Defenders who have about two female boxers while I think Freedom Boxing Club are working towards that goal as well.
“But this is strictly at amateur level. At the professional level we have no female boxers in the Northern Cape as yet.”
Jack emphasised that the tournament on Saturday will most likely stage about 15 bouts which number depended on how the fighters will be matched up in the week leading to the tournament.
The upcoming tournament for youth and school age candidates is the fourth thus far in the Frances Baard and Sol Plaatje areas combined this year alone. A senior, professional tourney is planned for later this month when the province’s only female boxing promoter Sinazo Moroke will put on a show headlined by two female professional boxers.
