Salute Boxing cries foul
Owner claims unfair treatment in suspension from Control Board
Salute Boxing Academy owner, Kiriata Kamanya has called into question the manner in which the Namibian Professional Boxing Control Board (NPBCB) suspended his licence to promote boxing.
The board, on 26 July, suspended the promoter’s licence following reports that a boxing bonanza hosted by Salute Boxing in Walvis Bay a month earlier had turned nasty.
According to the suspension letter, the board charged that Kamanya in his capacity as “holder of certificate as promoter conducted yourself (sic) in a violent and reprehensible manner.”
“The board is further informed that you have made yourself guilty of assault by threats and/or physical violence on a boxing official and further of public violence in that you have unlawfully and intentionally committed together with number of other people an act or acts of violence which assumed serious proportions with the intention to disturb public peace and order…” the letter read further.
No truth
But the promoter, whose stable entered the boxing fray last year, feels that the charges labelled against him are devoid of truth and instead is a mere witch hunt and an effort to tarnish his image.
“They never discussed anything with me and I never had a hearing to put my version of the story across. So how can they suspend me?” asked Kamanya.
“My lawyers have written to them but until now we have not received any communication from them.”
The businessman further said that it is strange he is being charged despite him making sure that there was enough security at the event.
“The police were there and we also had a security company present. The only thing that I can say was that the crowd was not happy with the decision of the main bout (where Namibian Bethuel Uushona lost to Germany’s Deniz Ilbay on a split decision). But the crowd never touched any one,” Kamanya claimed.
As for the charge that he threatened World Boxing Federation (WBF) president, Howard Goldberg, Kamanya produced a letter from the South African stating that the Namibian tycoon never laid a hand on him.
“I would like to state categorically that Kiriata Kamanya did not lay a hand on me during the tournament in Walvis Bay,” part of an email from Goldberg intended for the NPBCB states.
Within rights
But NPBCB president Kelly Nghixulifwa maintains that the board acted well within its rights as the allegations were serious.
“… There was a commotion at the event and it is the responsibility of the promoter to make sure that there is security and safety at the event…. We are made to understand that the promoter failed to maintain safety and security, therefore comprising the safety of the officials,” he told Namibian Sun on Friday.
As for Kamanya’s request for a hearing, Nghixulifwa said that the board will definitely meet with Salute Boxing, pending the completion of an investigation.
“We cannot have a hearing before we do the investigation. So we are doing the investigation and have appointed someone to do the investigation.
“After the investigation we will decide if we will have a hearing or not. In the meantime we have suspended his licence,” he added.
Report
Nghixulifwa said that the board is awaiting a report from Ellison Hijarunguru, who was the supervisor of the bonanza in Walvis Bay.
Kamanya, though, is having none of that and is instead pressing the board to give him a ‘satisfactory’ response.
“What I want from them is to be fair… if there was something like they claim, yes I will accept but if nothing then it looks like they are trying to tarnish my image,” he said.
Nghixulifwa, meanwhile, said that the suspension was necessary because the allegations made against Salute Boxing were serious.
“It is normal practice to have a hearing but because there are those allegations and they are quite serious we felt that while we are doing the investigation we’ve put his license on hold.
“We’ve not fired him or got rid of him but it only means we will not sanction any of his events.”
Know rules
He added that since the investigation is expected to be concluded this week, the board will set up a hearing in the near future.
As a parting shot, the veteran boxing administrator said that it is important for those handling boxers to get acquainted with how the board functions.
“All I’m saying is that if you are registered with the Namibian Professional Boxing Control Board, which was established through an act of parliament, there are rules and regulations that govern the board.
“There is a problem with promoters who come to register and do not familiarise themselves with the act.
“So the promoters and managers and the people involved in the management of the boxers should familiarise themselves with the act and the rules and regulations of the boxing control board so that they know what they must do and what they must not do.”
HECTOR MAWONGA
The board, on 26 July, suspended the promoter’s licence following reports that a boxing bonanza hosted by Salute Boxing in Walvis Bay a month earlier had turned nasty.
According to the suspension letter, the board charged that Kamanya in his capacity as “holder of certificate as promoter conducted yourself (sic) in a violent and reprehensible manner.”
“The board is further informed that you have made yourself guilty of assault by threats and/or physical violence on a boxing official and further of public violence in that you have unlawfully and intentionally committed together with number of other people an act or acts of violence which assumed serious proportions with the intention to disturb public peace and order…” the letter read further.
No truth
But the promoter, whose stable entered the boxing fray last year, feels that the charges labelled against him are devoid of truth and instead is a mere witch hunt and an effort to tarnish his image.
“They never discussed anything with me and I never had a hearing to put my version of the story across. So how can they suspend me?” asked Kamanya.
“My lawyers have written to them but until now we have not received any communication from them.”
The businessman further said that it is strange he is being charged despite him making sure that there was enough security at the event.
“The police were there and we also had a security company present. The only thing that I can say was that the crowd was not happy with the decision of the main bout (where Namibian Bethuel Uushona lost to Germany’s Deniz Ilbay on a split decision). But the crowd never touched any one,” Kamanya claimed.
As for the charge that he threatened World Boxing Federation (WBF) president, Howard Goldberg, Kamanya produced a letter from the South African stating that the Namibian tycoon never laid a hand on him.
“I would like to state categorically that Kiriata Kamanya did not lay a hand on me during the tournament in Walvis Bay,” part of an email from Goldberg intended for the NPBCB states.
Within rights
But NPBCB president Kelly Nghixulifwa maintains that the board acted well within its rights as the allegations were serious.
“… There was a commotion at the event and it is the responsibility of the promoter to make sure that there is security and safety at the event…. We are made to understand that the promoter failed to maintain safety and security, therefore comprising the safety of the officials,” he told Namibian Sun on Friday.
As for Kamanya’s request for a hearing, Nghixulifwa said that the board will definitely meet with Salute Boxing, pending the completion of an investigation.
“We cannot have a hearing before we do the investigation. So we are doing the investigation and have appointed someone to do the investigation.
“After the investigation we will decide if we will have a hearing or not. In the meantime we have suspended his licence,” he added.
Report
Nghixulifwa said that the board is awaiting a report from Ellison Hijarunguru, who was the supervisor of the bonanza in Walvis Bay.
Kamanya, though, is having none of that and is instead pressing the board to give him a ‘satisfactory’ response.
“What I want from them is to be fair… if there was something like they claim, yes I will accept but if nothing then it looks like they are trying to tarnish my image,” he said.
Nghixulifwa, meanwhile, said that the suspension was necessary because the allegations made against Salute Boxing were serious.
“It is normal practice to have a hearing but because there are those allegations and they are quite serious we felt that while we are doing the investigation we’ve put his license on hold.
“We’ve not fired him or got rid of him but it only means we will not sanction any of his events.”
Know rules
He added that since the investigation is expected to be concluded this week, the board will set up a hearing in the near future.
As a parting shot, the veteran boxing administrator said that it is important for those handling boxers to get acquainted with how the board functions.
“All I’m saying is that if you are registered with the Namibian Professional Boxing Control Board, which was established through an act of parliament, there are rules and regulations that govern the board.
“There is a problem with promoters who come to register and do not familiarise themselves with the act.
“So the promoters and managers and the people involved in the management of the boxers should familiarise themselves with the act and the rules and regulations of the boxing control board so that they know what they must do and what they must not do.”
HECTOR MAWONGA
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