An unheralded championSekgapane was also the first South African boxer to hold both the junior middleweight and middleweight titles, then the country's premier titles. It is the tragic tale of most boxing legends whose contributions are hardly ever remembered and which also reflects the state of South African boxing at large. Sekgapane's involvement as a judge, mentor and later as a member of the Boxing South Africa (BSA) board was not enough to endear him to a younger generation of fighters and fans. In an attempt to honour Sekgapane and revive boxing as a popular sport in the province, the North West provincial government assisted the Norman Sekgapane Foundation to stage the Norman Sekgapane Boxing Extravaganza in 2015 in his hometown of Mahikeng. Once considered the "Las Vegas of South African boxing", with the Sun City resort hosting some of the most pivotal fights in the sport's history, what unforgivable sin did boxing commit in the north?

Source: The North Africa Journal January 27, 2020 13:41 UTC