Johannesburg, May 13: Former South African President Nelson Mandela, champion of the fight against apartheid, has been unanimously voted into the boxing world hall of fame, a US film producer announced today. Duane Moodley, whose film production company imagine that has close ties to the Nelson Mandela children's fund, said he persuaded the US-based World Boxing Hall of Fame (WBHF), to consider inducting Mandela "because he was the greatest champion of all time." "I specifically told them that they may have the great Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson but they did not have the greatest champion of all time," Moodley was quoted by the local SAPA news agency.
"They demanded to know what I was talking about and when I told that Nelson Mandela, who laced up gloves to apartheid in a fashion that will never be duplicated in his life-time, they said, 'fantastic'," the flamboyant movie-maker told a news conference. Moodley said Mandela's "honourary induction" was deserved for the man who donned a boxing glove for different reasons.

Last year, Moodley's company brought actor Will Smith, who played the title role of Ali in the biographical movie by the same name, to South Africa.

Mandela and Smith attended the last ring appearance of South Africa's World Boxing Union (WBU) junior flyweight world champion "baby" Jake Matlala.

Moodley said Mandela will be presented with a special belt, which may well coincide with his 85th birthday celebrations in June this year.
Bureau Report