By Ssembatya Junior
IBA President Umar Kremlev and IBA Vice-President Abdulmutalim Abakarov met with the African Boxing Confederation (AFBC) President Eyassu Wossen and AFBC Board members earlier this month in Dubai in a meeting aimed at discussing the strategic plan for the African continent, to elevate boxing and create further conditions for the betterment of National Federations, athletes, coaches and officials.
In the first year of the AFBC President’s term, IBA has directed significant funding, development programs, and financial resources to benefit those boxing communities across the continent.
IBA has supported 15 National Federations directly with equipment and value-in-kind for a total amount of $293,926 USD. In a show of personal commitment, IBA President extended direct support to the Ethiopian boxing community in early 2024 and distributed hundreds of pairs of boxing gloves and headguards during visits to Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and Kenya. For those African teams attending the upcoming IBA Youth World Boxing Championships in Budva, Montenegro, IBA has provided full accommodation support and accompanying feeding arrangements.
On top of the above, African boxers have benefited from IBA’s prize money, with $865,000 allocated to the 2023 AFBC Elite Men’s and Women’s African Boxing Championships in Cameroon and $222,500 for the 2024 Mandela African Boxing Cup in Durban, South Africa. With over $1.2 million invested in organizing these events, IBA has ensured high-quality platforms for African boxers to showcase their talent on the international stage. Moreover, African boxers who secured medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics will also receive prize money from the IBA.
The IBA has also emphasized the development of women’s boxing, equipping female athletes with resources and supporting their participation in high-profile events like the Champions’ Night in Ethiopia. We continue the work in this space.
‘The IBA actively supports the African continent and invests in its rapid development to ensure that boxing thrives here. We are united and strong for the sake of our common goal, which is to deliver opportunities for boxers in every corner of the world. We want African boxers to be successful, provide for their families, and achieve new heights. Africa has all the potential to excel at the international stage, it has heritage and young talents, and we will support the continent in every stride forward,’ IBA President Umar Kremlev said.
