Befittingly, this tournament was co-promoted by two female boxing promoters, Ms Mbali Zantsi of Showtime Boxing Promotions and Ms Kenosi Mlabateki of Rams Boxing Promotions, during a month when South Africa celebrates the contribution made by its women towards a free society.
Ms Zantsi and Mlabateki’s promotion of this tournament, the first ever featuring professional South African female boxers, highlights the role played by female promoters in breaking barriers for women.
The Ministry of Sport and Recreation salutes these women and hopes that future tournaments will be even more successful. Equally, the Ministry salutes the female boxers who defied the odds to gain promotion to the professional ranks.
While the tournament reflected the coming of age of our female promoters, our female boxers and female boxing, it also reflected South Africa’s commitment to use sport as a vehicle for promoting people-to-people co-operation with developing countries.
The Ministry wishes to encourage female boxers still in the amateur ranks not to despair as their continued participation in boxing will contribute towards challenging gender stereotypes that still exist in our society.
For their peers to have turned professional, should be proof enough that with commitment and discipline, their time will also come.