Port Elizabeth’s No 1 woman boxer Nozipho Bell’s coach, Caiphus Ntante, has filed a complaint with the World Boxing Association.
He has requested a rematch of the WBO female world super featherweight championship title bout between Bell and Poland’s Ewa Brodnicka.
Bell lost on a unanimous points decision after a full 12 rounds of boxing on Friday night in Poland.
The 29-year-old Walmer Township resident, who is the reigning SA Junior Light Champion, made SA boxing history by becoming the first woman boxer to contest for the world title.
Ntante claims that two of the judges and the referee were from Poland, while the third judge was from Germany.
He said this gave Brodnicka an advantage.
“I have written an official complaint to the WBO governing body about the officiating of the fight,” Ntante said.
“To me it was wrong to have two judges from Poland officiating the bout because the fight was not a Polish title, it was a world title.
“Those judges were meant to be neutral – at least have two from Germany and one from Poland.
“I want the WBO to review the fight so that they can have their own outcome.
“They will have separate people who will judge the fight and then after viewing the footage come back with their results.
“Those results will determine if we get a rematch or not. Ewa and her coach are not the ones at fault, the people who are wrong are the people who officiated the fight.
“They are the ones who have to answer to the WBO.”
The coach said Bell was very disappointed. However, the fight has raised her standing as a female boxer.
“To perform that way on the world stage has made her an international boxer. As much as she has lost, she has also gained so much experience.
“We also ended up as heroes because we received so much support from spectators in Poland after the fight.
“They were also booing the results so that made us walk tall,” he said.
Bell welcomed the call for a rematch and said: “Even if they say I must face Ewa Brodnicka tomorrow, I would sleep with a smile on my face tonight.
“I have been robbed. I want a rematch.”
Despite the loss, Bell said the fight had built her confidence.
“It has created a monster because now I am a different person,” she said.