A newly launched rural Limpopo boxing promotion house, which will look at the interests of disadvantaged and neglected rural boxers, received a shot in the arm on the eve of staging their first title tournament.

Mulenzhe World Sports Promotions at Mulenzhe, which is the brainchild of former boxing champion Mpho Khorommbi, is to stage its first tournament in August but does not have enough resources. A businessman, Mr Ramaano Sigidi of Tshtshithe Funeral Undertakers, decided to sponsor the tournament to the tune of R10 000.

SigidI said he was very impressed by the courage shown by the owner of the promotions house, Mpho Khorommbi. "This man has a vision which, if properly supported, could benefit the whole province. It is only through us businesspeople that this could become a reality,” said Sigidi.

Sigidi said he had been following boxing and he had noticed that most big name boxers who graced the television screens were from Limpopo, but they had to relocate to Gauteng in order to make it in boxing. He said as a company they had a social responsibility arm which looked after the interests of the community.

“We are ploughing back to the community that supports us. We have been doing this for many years, where we help families of deceased who are in distress and cannot bury their loved ones. We will continue doing so inasmuch as the community keeps on supporting us,” said Sigidi.

“We will be staging our first tournament soon. We do not have the resources to stage a world-class tournament, but with the assistance we are getting from the premier’s office and other businesses, we hope to bring the best boxers here for the people to see,” said Khorommbi.

"Boxing is a career which is a source of livelihood to many who only rely on it, but without fights they would starve. We are here to make sure these neglected boxers get fights to keep them alive, and with the support we are getting, we can see light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

Khorommbi hit hard at municipalities and the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, which he said did not show any support for boxing. “Look, in the Eastern Cape, all promotions houses are given annual budgets by their municipalities, which is not happening here. We need support here, and we will take the sport to another level,” he added.