AIR DATE:
EPISODE: Episode 1
Our first podcast interview will be with Ms. Zandile Malinga of South Africa.
Please click on the link ? below for further information.
https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/sport/boxing/2022-05-20-malinga-earns-her-stripes-as-chair-of-promoters-association/
The topics of discussion:
* Becoming Chairwoman of Promoters Association.
* Being a woman promoter in a male-dominated culture and boxing industry in South Africa.
* Boxing culture in South Africa.
* Who are the big-name male and female. boxers in South Africa. In each weight class.
* Boxing Tournament June 5, 2022.
* Female boxing in South Africa.
* What are the major boxing belts in South Africa. (i.e., In the U.S. It’s the WBA and WBC)?
*Possible Future events with boxers from the U.S and South Africa.
* Goals for the future of women in boxing industry globally as boxers and businesswomen.
#Boxing #TalkinFight #SouthAfrica
#FemaleBoxing #WomensBoxing #FemaleFights
Transcribed:
[, Music, ], hello and welcome to the stafford boxing report.
I am sheila stafford the complete voice for the future of women in the global boxing industry as boxers and business women stafford boxing.
The making of champions please like subscribe, share and leave a comment.
Today is a special day: i have za malenga, who is owner of starline boxing promotions and chair of the promoters, association and federation in south africa.
Mrs malinga is not just a role model and a woman of character.
She is a staple in south africa and around the world.
She is making her presence known globally and setting a high standard on the business side in the boxing industry and other.
I believe we all can learn from mrs malinga, hello, hi.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for having me.
No.
That is not a problem.
I would like for you to give us your full name.
My name, as you know, all african names, and they are a story so tell my name – is zandi hazel, malinga and zantil means i’m the last one of three girls and it means there are plenty of girls in the household.
So it’s like enough girls.
Now i love it, i’m not i’m going to be honest with trying to pronounce your name, and i was just having a little difficulty with it, and i want to make sure that i always pronounce others names correctly out of respect.
Your name is so unique and beautiful, and i love it.
I love it so you’re in south africa, i’m in atlanta, georgia, that’s about a six hour difference.
What time is it there or six? It’S 20 hours, zero? Six! So it’s six minutes past eight pm.
So we are in our evening see this is what i’m talking about everybody.
This is how you do business and you get to the bottom line.
Mrs malinga is not playing any game she’s, not even playing the radio.
So everybody get your pad pen pencil typewriter.
Just a little joke and take notes, but before we get started, i want to recognize that we’re going to have some veterans that are in the boxing industry and then we’re going to have those that are new in the boxing industry.
We’Re going to accommodate everyone, but only if you leave a comment.
So, mrs malinga, you are on the chair of the promoters, association and the federation.
Can you please tell us what is the promoters association, the promoters association? If i can mention sheila here in south africa, boxing professional boxing is regulated by the act of parliament.
So we have the south african boxing act, number 11 of 2001 and from the end, then we have regulations that regulate uh the act, the the the south african.
It dissects it breaks down what the egg says, and so, as per the act, we are allowed as boxing south africa licenses to form associations, and so we have boxes association.
We have a promote association, we have trainers and managers, association and also officials, association and so from from each wing.
We then, from box boxing licenses boxers will form that association to deal with issues that talk to boxers and also the promoters association is formulated to deal with issues that from promoter space and from there, we then culminate into a federation that will talk to each wing.
So that the federation represents all the issues and methods brought up in the small indiana in the small federated associations that are built, and so we we, we then have that federation.
As you said earlier, i’m the chair of the promoters association and also the chair of the case and professional boxing in its entirety in case again, uh quesadilla is a province in south africa.
You guys, you call them states with us.
We have provinces – and there are only nine provinces here in south africa in seoul and is one of the provinces that we have here in south africa and it’s quite a big and vibrant um atmosphere.
And, as you would know, our kingdom is known as the zulu kingdom and the truth is and uh the work that i have to do.
I have to carry the casing and boxing fraternity on my shoulders and ensure that i’m fair in my decisions and ensure that i’m innovative and creative and to try and beat the other provinces in this sphere of boxing of professional boxing in south africa, then as a Whole and it’s quite challenging, but um, i’m happy, i’m happy, i’m happy of the strides that i’ve made and i can see the future.
It’S a bright, very bright future.
I like that.
I just want to let everybody know that for some reason, there’s just some technical over here, i’m in one of the best spots that you can have for the internet.
So please excuse the inconvenience and thank you, but i heard everything that you said, mrs malenka.
So pretty much what you’re saying is that with the federation that just helps keep everything in order and can take care of any of the challenges or face on challenges before they even happen.
So i i understand that i actually like that.
I actually like that route.
Um, how did you get selected? I was selected by my colleagues.
I wasn’t sure because um boxing, as you know, it’s a male dominated industry.
So even here and your zulu tribe, we are zulus here in case then, and you would know shadows and how men are.
But my colleagues made counterparts, they were the one who elected me and i said i’ll take on the job and make the most of it previously i’ve been secretary, you would know that most in most organizational structures will take that role as secretary, because you are good At writing – or you are you, you just good enough for writing minutes, and so for the past a few years i’ve been sacrificed to to the association, and it was the first time that i’ve been elected and appointed and i’m really happy it’s.
My main counterparts for defense now you are also the owner of starline boxing promotions, and i know you wear a lot of hats.
How do you accomplish all of your goals? I’M married in suboxone a married into the malignant family, i think in south africa.
There is no other family that has a deep and very strong legacy in boxing in professional boxing, like the malignant, the first south africans win, the wpc is my father-in-law in the family and and they there are so many champions in the malina family that were produced And so it’s got a huge legacy.
You can then imagine a that is what you call a bride in the family, and now i have this legacy that i have to be very delicate with it.
I have to be very conscious and at the same time the family supports me so much i wouldn’t be where i am, if it wasn’t, for the support from my husband and my kids and the entire man in our family.
They’Ve allowed me to be me and they’ve supported me: i’ve gotten a ba in communication, science and an honors degree in drama and theater studies.
So can you imagine, i love the stage, i’m just a thespian artist at heart and somehow boxing gives me that and i enjoy it so much with the support that changing as it might be because in our culture in the zulu culture you can’t and look at Your elder in the eye, it’s a no, no you! You are not showing respect, and so can you imagine that at home i have to be this submissive, wife in the boardroom.
I have to be that internative chair and who puts her foot down on metals on crucial matters.
I have to be decisive, make unpopular decisions at times, but um with the support that i have i’ve been doing it somehow it is but challenging, but it is now.
You had said that you cannot look the elders in their eyes.
So when you are around others, and you have to make important decisions or there’s a topic of discussion going on you do not, you cannot look them in the eyes at all.
You do because, even if it’s pertaining to business, you can’t look your elders in the eyes in our volatile time.
No, but you still you’re still looking that you’re still looking at eye contact, but very little and as i was saying, bob sugar boy, i can’t call him by name.
So i have to put the prefix of [ Music ] as a father, and so there is no way even people ask me, but they just learn out his name.
I can’t i can’t as a majority, i can’t as a child just split out his name.
Even when i talk to him, i i do not look at him straight in the eye.
It’S and i think, i’m comfortable with it because we’re brought up like that and it’s not strange at all, but in the bottom in the bottom.
I i ensure that i remain respectful, but still my ground understood, i’m conscious of the culture where i come from, but i’m very fed understood now you are a promoter, so tell our viewers.
What are your daily activities as being a promoter? Promoting uh boxes is no popping place.
It’S it’s really really uh, quite tough, especially here in south africa and sheila.
We are a federal country and our government wants us to do well and so most of our support we get from our government departments that want boxing to thrive because they’ve seen uh, as i’ve mentioned, with the likes of the mantra bella they’ve seen and with the Likes of philip doe that in boxing you can do so well, but a day in the life of a promoter.
I always say i’ve got this upcoming tournament and i always say i feel, like an event, a wedding, planner, who’s planning, five different weddings.
At the same time, and all these boxers have their needs and ones and this and that and you you just go crazy, but you just have to compose yourself.
The results are so sweet the results when it’s well executed.
You get your satisfaction and that’s why we always say that boxing is addictive, because you want to do it again.
You want to see those minds from the boxers, so it’s very fulfilling challenging as it may be, but it’s very fulfilling it’s awesome.
I love your passion and your your enthusiastic about what everything that it is that you’re doing, and i know it also falls over into other aspects of other things that you are doing in your life.
So i i really have to tip my hat off to you because wanting to be a promoter and being a promoter in all the different hats and the responsibilities that you have.
It is not easy and then with you being in south africa, of course, there’s going to be a big difference as well as certain things.
Let me apologize to to everybody that is is watching.
I do apologize for the inconvenience with the technical difficulties that i am having, so please forgive me and we’re just gon na keep on going um.
The other question that i also want to ask you was who are some of the big male and female boxers in south africa in the different weight divisions and three three of the ones that i’m going to mention for those who are not familiar.
We have the straw weight, which is 105 pounds.
You have the light weight, the light flyweight, which is 105 to 108 pounds, and then the one that i know everybody is familiar with, would be the heavy weight which is 200 or more pounds.
So what that is is when a boxer is about to have a match.
They have to be that specific weight in order for them to be able to fight.
So when they have weigh-ins they’re letting the world know that their weight is appropriate and the fight is going to continue the current cruiserweight in the wbc silver title and we’ve got the former ibf flyweight rhodium has done so well for south africa and for cases and As a whole and we’ve got uh retired boxers i’ve, i’ve mentioned i’ve mentioned the lives of dynasty bella, who won the wp team, and we have in south africa and mr franco porter he’s retired though, but he’s the only south african who faced mike tyson, who faced Lenox lewis, who faced evander hollyfield and we we always say, he’s the bravest man in south africa for facing well to help the gods to face all those guys and we have the likes of brian mitchell.
And there are a number of names who have done well.
In the world, from south africa and yeah, we we with current we’ve, got gazanga fazilia we’ve got gideon italian we’ve got so many boxers who are rated internationally from south africa, and so we just hope, uh for more and more and better results so get to those Coveted titles like the wpc: now you have a boxing tournament.
That’S coming up on june 5th 2022.
.
Tell us what’s what’s going on with this on the 5th of june, it’s this upcoming sunday and i’ll be hosting a three title, a boxing tournament, and we’ve got two south african titles here in south africa, and our south african title will take it.
It’S a prestigious title and it says you have beaten all your your your counterparts in your weight division, and so you are the best in in south africa as a whole, and so i’ve got two.
I’Ve got.
One is a male, a about between prince roma and poland is a champion he’s.
The challenger prince is the champion, and fulani is from one of our provinces in malanga, he’s a champion in bumalanga, so that one will be a cracker and we’ve got a female about.
Also, a south african title, it’s temazuma vessels and that one so across their friends outside the ring.
But now the title is a stake and both the girls are like.
You will not stand on my way.
I want this title so quickly, so the friendship is like you.
If you can read the newspapers here in south africa, they are going crazy over the pounds and we, the last one, is the wpf between misophthala and especially, and what i love about that belt.
Is that it’s a wbf lightweight title and smith tellers has just recently graduated from the university of zulet, where i i studied so in bsc in zoology and bottom, so that is for us in boxing says, boxers should get educated and, on the other hand, his opponent Special has done is got married last year.
I think i think he got married last year, so it just shows that these boys are well.
They know what what they are doing, they are focused and and it’s going to bring a crack up, because both are eyeing each other on the title.
They won the fight and then i’ve got to go under half, so it could be only five pounds.
Okay, now the juicy part female boxing in south africa with the female boxers.
How were they perceived in south africa? Hmm uh? We are very rich in our culture and in our values and our norms and the positions that a woman.
This is your position and men.
This is your position, so it’s been, it’s still an uphill battle and we have a thanks to boxing south africa, the regulator of professional boxing, the body that regulates professional boxing in in boxing south africa.
There is a wing it’s a program, it’s called women in boxing so from that we get so much support and we are even able to end our views.
One of the things that we recommend is that on all government funded tournaments, at least if we can have one or two bouts of female boxing just for them to showcase their talent, just for them to have a platform, and we have few and those few.
We must handle them very well and ensure that they get the same benefits like their male counterparts.
I can say we are still struggling because most of all other projects are done within the women’s mark, uh or the international women’s month in march.
It’S either it’s in our cast, our women’s math and commemorating them the women who matched in 1956 uh to abolish harsh laws, and so we are saying, let’s move away from the months women’s month, to do something for women in boxing.
Let us just uh enjoy and put female boxing at a potential way to, and last year in december i hosted an ultimate a boxing tournament funded by boxing south africa.
It was so beautiful.
This island, that is, was unmeshed, so there’s so much potential and i always feel there’s so much more that we can do but yeah we, we are subsidy, we are in the right path with the regulatory body.
Now i heard you when you were speaking about some of the boxers, you did mention um some of the belts that are the same that we have here, and that was like the wba, which is the world boxing association and the wbc world boxing council.
Now, for those who don’t know both of these organizations, they are affiliated with boxing as a sport and they sanction the official matches between the fighters and as well as the titles in the different way divisions.
Is there any difference within the the weight divisions in south africa and the united states? Is there any difference or are they the same? They are the same.
They are the same because your your your phantom weight is 53 kg is 52.
.
I think at times with the wbf, what i noticed is they will say they.
They will say the other um [ Music, ] um, the other division, which is higher.
They will say it’s it’s not it’s um uh jesus, i’m missing this, but the wpf has a a different name, but the weight divisions do not change at all.
So it’s still the same weight division as paid, but with us it’s not pounds.
It’S kilograms.
We say.
52 kg and 53 light weight is 61, featherweight is 56, and it’s just it’s just the naming on the junior and yeah.
What are some possible events with the united states and south africa? Where do you see that going? What’S going on with that, because it makes me to dream big, i dream big.
Actually you taught me sheila, you taught me not to undermine myself and so go all out and dream, and did you hear me i was like i heard you.
Yes, you taught me to dream big right.
You told me that i can’t say i’m quitting, and so i’m taking that chance, i think from here it would be best to to look at the partnership and the relationship, and if we can have the best of the usa and the best of sna, we can Dream big to host a tournament and also for me, information sharing.
I would not lie the usa.
You guys are doing amazing work when it comes to professional boxing, and it always says to us there’s a lot that we need to learn, and i really would like for an information sharing session to help us we might in that information sharing session.
We would be you, we might also give you information, and that would be valuable to you too, but a workshop on on how on how to make our professional boxing better would be ideal, a tournament chair on top.
Well, i’m looking forward, i’m be honest with you.
I’M really, what are some gold nuggets that you can leave with us and the viewers, something that you can tell us that we will always remember that will and always keep us encouraged with what it is that we’re doing whether it’s in the boxing industry or any Other type of business, i would say, allow women to lead, allow women to lead, allow us to enter into that space of leadership.
We are born nutrients and we are born assertive.
We are born perfectionist and so whatever we as women do we do it so well, because we want things to be done flawlessly and we are [ Music ] into looking good, whatever whatever.
If it’s your kids, your kids should be clean.
So in the business world we need to to be allowed to be who we are naturally as women, and i always say you work hard, you dream big and never give up, and that’s my motto never give up on your dreams.
That is some powerful words.
You all have heard it first from ms zamalinga coming to us all the way from south africa.
I would like to thank you, mrs malinga, i’m taking the time out of your busy schedule, because i know that you have a lot going on just to bless us with your presence on the stafford boxing report.
I know i learned a lot and i’m sure that the viewers that are watching now and those that are going to be watching later is also going to have a great learning experience from everything that you have said.
I want everybody to know.
You are very much appreciated for being here today.
Once again, i apologize for the inconvenience with the connection that i was having today, but please don’t be discouraged and don’t let that keep you from liking sharing and subscribing and stafford boxing.
The making of champions see you next time,
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