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Fighters Club vows comeback after tragedy delays tournament

Sowetan · Bongani Magasela · 2026-09-02T13:35:30+00:00 · nguồn gốc

Story audio is generated using AI Fighters Club boss Terry Anne Hart has not given up hope after a tragedy that prompted the postponement of her tournament last month. This is according to her media liaison officer, Luthando Zibeko, who said his boss is hard at work planning for October. Dubbed “Battle in the Island”, the event — which was to feature World Boxing Federation, South African, and African Boxing Union titles between women — was scheduled for August 22 at the GrandWest Arena in Cape Town. “We could not meet our obligations as Fighters Club because some of our partners, unfortunately, pulled out at a late stage,” said Zibeko. “But also one of the things that happened is that our CEO Terry Anne Hart’s house was burnt to the ground. “But we are not out there to use that as an excuse. “From the promoter’s side it was very difficult to put that tournament together. We did not share that with our fighters.” He said they apologised sincerely to all stakeholders. “We are still apologising to all of them,” he said. “We reached out to all the camps whose boxers were to participate in our event and apologised. “The response was positive; also, the manner in which Boxing SA handled the matter is commendable.” Zibeko said the promoter will make an announcement about the new date, which will be in October. “Boxers who were to fight on August 22 will be paid 20% of their purses, and 75% of the initial bouts will still form part of the upcoming tournament,” he said. “September being Cancer [Awareness] Month, we will centre our theme around that ... that is what Fighters Club is all about — female empowerment.” He said they are back at work as Fighters Club. “There are going to be changes, and we will make announcements. “We are determined to put the disappointment behind [us] and move forward. “We want to thank the Fighters Club’s community for standing behind us. “We are grateful for the support during a difficult month.” Zibeko noted the importance for women to stand together not only in good times. “The next couple of months are going to be exciting,” he said. Sowetan