By Ronnie Nathanielsz

The image of the International Boxing Organization and the South African Boxing Association has been damaged by the failure of boxing promoter Siphatho Handi to keep his commitment to pay Filipino world light flyweight champion Rey Loreto as well as another boxer Jetly Purisima who fought on the undercard, their purses totaling a balance of $45,000.



Handi had promised the IBO, the SABA and the boxers representative, former North Cotabato governor and broadcast journalist Manny Pinol to transfer the funds to Pinol’s bank account in the Philippines by April 17.



In a communication to IBO president Ed Levine whose office we ourselves have called several times for the sake of the boxers, Pinol informed us that Handi hasn’t kept his promise and that he (Pinol) had “sent him a modest sum of money” after Loreto called and said he needed the money to finish the construction of a small house he is building for his family.



In the face of promoter Handi’s failure to pay the boxers, Pinol has asked the IBO “what action they would take to give these boxers what is due them.”



Pinol who hired a panel of South African lawyers to file the necessary cases against Handi to recover the fighters purses had put the legal action on hold in the face of the promoter’s promise to pay but because of the third failure of Handi to keep his commitment he will be “forced to elevate the matter to the South African courts.”



Pinol concluded I know this would be embarrassing not only for the promoter but also for Boxing South Africa and the IBO but I believe this should be done to protect the interests of the Filipino boxers.”