{"id":102226,"date":"2015-10-14T10:50:00","date_gmt":"2015-10-14T08:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/102226\/boxing-legends-honoured\/"},"modified":"2015-10-14T10:47:55","modified_gmt":"2015-10-14T08:47:55","slug":"boxing-legends-honoured","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/sports-news\/2015\/10\/14\/boxing-legends-honoured\/","title":{"rendered":"Boxing legends honoured"},"content":{"rendered":"

The East Rand Veterans Boxing Association held their annual Champions Night at the Primrose Bowling Club on October 8.<\/p>\n

The members of the association meet every month at the Primrose Bowling Club.<\/p>

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\u201cWe have meetings every second Thursday of the month,\u201d said the association\u2019s public relations officer, Willie Stols.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe usually have a guest speaker at our meetings and, afterwards, we talk about boxing with refreshments.\u201d<\/p>

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Among other things, the association assists former boxers with medical, rental, electricity and funeral costs.<\/p>\n

Stols also told the GCN that the Champions Night marked the last meeting for the year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is our last meeting before our year-end function in November,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery year, in October, we host a Champions Night where we try and, not only remember, but also honour and recognise our home-grown champions.\u201d<\/p>\n

The association\u2019s chairman, Nigel Pera, explained to all those present that the night is not only aimed at champions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a champions and challengers\u2019 night because without the challengers or contenders there wouldn\u2019t be champions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe challengers also need to be honoured, they are just as important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pera also emphasised the purpose of the association.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are here to help former boxers who need financial and psychological assistance,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of guys need our help out there.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, our work requires funding and we try raise funds wherever we can.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur sponsors are doing a great job as well, as they put money into our account every month which goes a long way, we are eternally grateful for that.<\/p>\n

\u201cRaffles and auctions, we run at our monthly meetings, are another way of raising funds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pera went on to introduce the night\u2019s guest speaker.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives me great pleasure to introduce Chris van Heerden, IBO welterweight world champion competing in the United States of America,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am honoured to be in the midst of legends, most of whom I looked up to as a child,\u201d said van Heerden.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou guys have been a true inspiration to us youngsters, we look up to you.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started my professional boxing career in 2006 and have been going hard at it ever since.<\/p>\n

\u201cI moved to and started competing in America in 2013 and although I compete there I am proudly South African.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs South Africans, we have what it takes to fight world champions and even become world champions and raise the South African flag up high.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives us great pleasure to host this evening, we try and promote the memories of South African champions, challengers and contenders,\u201d added Pera.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe won\u2019t allow such memories to die but rather keep them as they are of the sport we all love.\u201d<\/p>\n