Who ever said being a boxing promoter was easy?
Unknown to most, behind the scenes is often a slog of phone calls, mixed messages and paperwork.
This was the case this past week as Golden Gloves boss Rodney Berman sought to ensure Azinga Fuzile’s documents were in order for his fight against Sultan Zaurbek in Kazakhstan on April 5.
Had Berman and travel director Carol Abdool not jumped through hoops, the likelihood is Fuzile would have travelled just three days before the important WBA Continental showdown. Instead, he flies out this weekend.
“Sorting it all out proved to be a challenging and frustrating experience,” said Berman, who thanked Abdool for assisting him.
The process was fraught with numerous obstacles and complications, as evidenced by the series of WhatsApp messages exchanged.
Initially, Berman was informed that applicants had to appear in person at the embassy with all the required documents. This requirement alone posed a significant challenge, as the Kazakhstan embassy in Pretoria was only open for visa submissions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to noon. Additionally, the visa processing time was seven days, which added to the urgency of the situation.
Berman’s attempts to expedite the process involved coordinating with various individuals, including his travel director (Abdool) and the Foreign Minister. The Kazakh authorities requested photos of travel documents and proof of hotel accommodation, which were necessary to complete the application forms. However, the embassy would not accept the applications until they received an approval letter from the Kazakhstan Ministry, along with a full invitation from Samake Promotions, who are staging the event.
Despite Berman’s best efforts to push things along, the process remained complicated. The Foreign Minister was involved, and Berman was hopeful that his assistance would help expedite matters. However, the need for the applicants to appear in person at the embassy, coupled with the limited embassy hours, made scheduling difficult. The team had to coordinate travel from East London to Pretoria, which required careful planning and notice.
As the fight date approached, Berman grew increasingly concerned about the potential for cancellation. The visa issues were causing significant delays, and he was worried about the fairness of sending a fighter to Kazakhstan just a few days before the fight, leaving little time for acclimatisation after a long flight.
In a fortunate turn of events, Kazakh Tourism, an official government body, took responsibility for inviting the team to the country and handling their visas. This development meant that the team would be sent electronic visas, eliminating the need to appear at the embassy. However, the process was still not straightforward, as the South Africans needed to wait for the issuance and receipt of the e-visas.
Adding to the complexity, the team was informed that they needed medical insurance to cover any potential injuries. The Golden Gloves CEO had to coordinate with insurance agents both in Kazakhstan and locally to find a suitable policy. The insurance process involved additional paperwork, including passport copies, all at significant cost.
Berman, an old hand at sorting international travel, was stunned at the complexity of the process. He had never experienced anything like it before and was concerned about the impact on the fight. The situation was a constant source of stress and uncertainty, with the fight’s fate hanging in the balance due to the visa issues.
Happily, the right people were connected and Fuzile received the clearances required.
At this rate, whatever might happen in the ring could be far less of an ordeal than negotiating the highways and byways of international travel.
