Boxing promoter Branco Milenkovic still walks tall despite recent drug scandals involving boxers who fight under his banner. He was voted Boxing SA’s promoter of 2003 and although his image now appears to be tainted, Milenkovic dismisses these allegations. ”These doping incidents are disturbing,” he said.

South African lightweight boxing king Isaac ”Angel” Hlatshwayo has vacated his national title to challenge Lovemore Ndou for the WBA Pan Pacific junior welterweight title in Australia on October 16. Hlatshwayo, the proud owner of the coveted Old Buck Belt, was supposed to defend against Nigel Classen on September 28.

Moroka Swallows laboured unnecessarily against the relatively inexperienced Dynamos to register a narrow 1-0 win in a Castle Premiership match at the Rand Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday. Striker Shaun Parmell blasted home a beauty in the 53rd minute.

Zinedine Zidane inspired Spain to win the Danone Cup Nations Championship as the young Spaniards beat Switzerland 3-1 in the final in front of about 15 000 thrilled fans at Parc de Princes Stadium in Paris on Sunday. South Africa, last year’s winners, came third.

Business tycoons Tokyo Sexwale and Patrice Motsepe’s involvement in local soccer has been described as a positive step to end the sport’s Cinderella reputation in South Africa. ”We commend Motsepe and Sexwale,” said Mpumalanga Premier Thabang Makwetla at the official launch of Sexwale’s Mvela Golden League at the weekend.

Mzukisi Sikali is living on borrowed time as the IBO flyweight title holder, warns challenger Mhikiza Myekeni. The two gladiators, who are from Port Elizabeth and East London respectively, will fight at Carnival City, east of Johannesburg, on Saturday night. ”Sikali’s time is up. This is my time,” said Myekeni.

Injuries to a number of Bafana Bafana players for their 2006 World Cup and African Nations Cup qualifier against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has almost turned head coach Stuart Baxter into an ambulance man. ”I was running around nursing injuries,” said Baxter on Thursday before announcing his 17-member squad.

Complacency will be Kaizer Chiefs’ downfall against Black Leopards in the quarterfinal of the R1,3-million SAA Supa 8 match at the FNB Stadium on Saturday. The jungle cats from Limpopo are hurting. They were overshadowed 2-0 by AmaKhosi in the semifinal of the Telkom Charity Cup at the same venue last month.

Sizwe Nzimande is the new chief operations officer for the Premier Soccer League (PSL). The 30-year-old marketer was introduced at a media briefing at the league’s offices on Wednesday. Nzimande will take over the day-to-day running of the PSL. He has been given a two-year contract and will start his new job on September 1.

England-based star midfielder Quinton Fortune’s days in exile are over. Fortune, a nimble left-footed player, has shunned Bafana Bafana for more than a year after being described by former Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba as being unpatriotic for failing to honour the World Cup bid match against England in Durban last May.