For every champion whose hand is raised under the bright lights, there was once a young fighter in a community gym with nothing more than a dream, discipline and someone who believed in them.
It is for those young fighters that the Golden Gloves Foundation is launching Shaya Thursday, a monthly boxing and youth development platform dedicated to grassroots talent, community upliftment and creating real pathways from amateur boxing into the professional sport.
Launching at Emperors Palace 27th August 2026, Shaya Thursday will take place on the last Thursday of every month, bringing amateur and emerging professional fighters together on one platform and giving young boxers something powerful to work towards.
MORE THAN BOXING. A PATHWAY TO POSSIBILITY.
Through the Golden Gloves Foundation, young fighters will be supported with access to training, coaching, mentorship, competition and development opportunities, using boxing to build discipline, confidence, resilience and purpose.
Each Shaya Thursday will bring together amateur and professional boxing, creating a visible pathway where young fighters can develop at grassroots level, compete as amateurs and, for those who have the ability and commitment, progress towards the professional ranks.
Nivi Grogor, Director of the Golden Gloves Foundation, says the initiative is driven by a belief that talent exists in communities across South Africa, but opportunity does not always reach it.
“There are incredibly talented young people in our communities who simply need someone to see them, believe in them and give them an opportunity. Shaya Thursday is about creating that opportunity. Boxing gives us the platform, but the purpose is much bigger, it is about building confidence, discipline, hope and pathways for young people to change the direction of their lives.”
BUILDING CHAMPIONS. UPLIFTING COMMUNITIES.
Shaya Thursday connects community boxing, youth development, amateur competition, professional progression and broadcast exposure, creating an ecosystem that allows young fighters and their communities to grow with the programme. The Golden Gloves Foundation wants to inspire young people to believe in what is possible, connect them to opportunities that can change their lives, and celebrate the fighters, coaches, families and communities behind every success story.
Shaya Thursday is ultimately about giving young people a fighting chance, inside and outside the ring.
Because before we can celebrate the next South African champion, we have to invest in the community where that champion begins.
