A total of 12 boxing matches will take place in Rouxville in the Free State this weekend, as part of efforts to promote the sport in small towns in the province.
The tournament is organised by Dream Team Promotions in association with the Free State Department of Sport, Art, Culture and Recreation in commemoration of Nelson Mandela and Women’s Month.
Two international bouts will take place, with the main fight featuring South African female boxing champion Matshidiso Mokatsane. Mokatsane will fight against Zimbabwean Cecilia Pitiseni who was forced to shed some kilos after she was found to be over the weight limit.
The women will battle it out in the junior lightweight division, where Mokatsane is the national champ. The other bout involves Bloemfontein-based, Jackson “Lord of the Ring” Kaptein against Giresse Wingui from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“My message to you my dear sister, I’m also well prepared. It is a good thing you took a fight though you’re going to lose. But you will learn something,” says Matshidiso “Scorpion Queen” Mokatsane.
“Tomorrow, I urged all of you to come. I’m prepared and trained hard for a win,” says Cecilia Pitiseni.
Both the promoter and the Department of Sport support the notion of male and female participants getting equal pay.
“Part of our mandate when we decided to partner for this tournament was that both men and women must be paid equally and that is our mandate,” says Mokete Duma, Acting HOD Department Sport, Art, Culture and Recreation, Free State.
“We decided to host the tournament in honour of both Madiba and women, hence decided to host the event now. It’s also important that our sportsmen are paid well. Actual our female boxers are paid more than men,” says Lebo Mahoko, Promoter: Dream Team Promotions.
The aim of the tournament is to expose the sport in as many towns as possible, to revive it and make boxing fashionable in the Free State.
