Boxing SA has encouraged stakeholders to use the three-month period to influence change in the governance of the sport after Minister Gayton McKenzie set an October deadline for comments on new regulations.
The amended regulations are currently open to submissions for comments and changes until October 15, after which they will become enforceable.
BSA engaged with boxing stakeholders to amend the current regulations after some were found to be outdated and stifling the progress of boxing in the country.
These include the requirement to limit boxers between the ages of 18 and 35 to fight professionally.
Several boxers have voiced discontent at being denied the opportunity to make a living and pursue their boxing dreams when they are over 35.
Though the regulation makes provision by allowing those who have been active throughout their careers, such as 47-year-old Bongani Mahlangu, others who have taken a 12-month break are treated as first-time applicants, forcing them to comply with the age limit.
The prohibition has again reared its head after the return of three-time world champion Zolani Tete was blocked despite completing his four-year dope ban.
Tete’s ban ended in July, but due to him being 38 and a lengthy absence, he could not be issued with a licence.
Tete is now one of the boxers waiting for the new regulations to kick in to allow him back in the ring.
BSA chief operations officer Mandla Ntlanganiso said there were other reforms contained in the new regulations which will help eliminate some of the stumbling blocks facing the sport.
“We urge boxing licensees and the public at large not to miss this opportunity of submitting comments during this period as the new regulations will affect them,” he said.
Ntlanganiso was on a national radio station unveiling a slew of reforms BSA has taken to breathe life into the sport.
Some involving the staging of tournaments may have failed to comply, leading to their cancellation, adversely affecting the sport, including the boxers.
Ntlanganiso said the new regulations were sent to McKenzie to gazette in July, opening 90 days for public comments.
“The deadline for comments is 15 October, so the sooner boxing stakeholders submit their comments, the better for the future of the sport,” he said.
There have been concerns that some of the contents of the 2001 Boxing Act were outdated and needed changes.
The matter is exacerbated by the discrepancy in the promulgation of the Act, which does not accommodate provinces after Parliament rejected the section dealing with provinces when it was submitted by then sports Minister Ngconde Balfour.
This led to the disbandment of provincial commissions, which is flagged as the death knell of the sport in regions such as Eastern Province.
However, the new regulations will go a long way in addressing the shortcomings.