▪️The five-man Rwanda team in Dubai includes one bronze medallist at the Africa Zone 3 tournament in Nairobi
30/11/2025
Energised by their fine show in the Africa Zone 3 Championships in Kenya’s capital city Nairobi, Rwanda have decided to dive into the deep end of the pool.
Five boxers are already in Dubai to make their debut in the 23rd edition of the IBA $8.32 million Men’s World Championships from December 2-13, ,2025.
Rwanda Boxing Federation President Bashir Ntwari told boxersworld.co.ke they have thrown caution to the wind and decided to enter Dubai Worlds.
“We had to do it for the boys to get the necessary experience irrespective of the results,” said Ntwari, adding: “We know the competition is tough here but we have everything to gain in Dubai.”
The five boxers include one bronze medallist in the Africa Zone 3 Championships held in October in Nairobi, bantamweight Iranezeza Aime. Flyweight Ntabanganyimana Valentin and welterweight Niyonzima Pacifique were also in Nairobi but lost in the quarter-finals.
In addition to the aforementioned three boxers, others in Dubai making their international debut are featherweight Havyarimana Abdul and middleweight Mugenga Innocent who defeated Patrick Ndayishimiye in the Kigali Fight Night this month, November, 2025. The latter was in Nairobi for the Zone 3 tournament. Havyarimana impressed the selectors following his impressive points victory over Zone 3 bronze medallist Iranezeza Aime in the Kigali Fight Night at featherweight. The other bronze medallist in Nairobi, lightweight Murenzi Hassan, was left behind due to budgetary constraints. Hassan and Valentin won their fights in the Kigali Fight Night. Rwanda was represented by six boxers in Nairobi, making a comeback to big-time boxing after being out of international tournaments for seven years to reorganise themselves.
The other officials in Dubai are team manager Asmin Emma who is the 1st Vice President of Rwanda Boxing Federation, coach and former international Jean Claude Gatorano and Fabrice Ntwali, the 2nd Vice President (technical) with vast experience in combat sports including boxing.
Rwanda’s trip to Dubai was made possible with the support of the Ministry of Sports and the International Boxing Association (IBA) through their Financial Support Program (FSP).
Under the new leadership of Bashir Ntwari, the Rwanda Boxing Federation has embarked on a transformative journey aimed at redefining boxing in the country.
The administration has prioritized technical skill development, increased participation in both local and international competitions band strengthened collaboration with key stakeholders, the Ministry of Sports, Africa Boxing Confederation (AFBC) and IBA.
This strategic approach has already begun to yield tangible progress. Rwanda recently participated in the Africa Zone 3 Boxing Championship held in Nairobi, Kenya, from October 15th to 25th, 2025. The event served as a crucial stepping stone for Rwanda’s boxers as they prepared for high-level competition and the upcoming world championship in Dubai.
“We would like to commend the Boxing Federation of Kenya for organizing the Zone 3 event and for their support throughout our stay in Nairobi. This competition enabled our boxers to gain valuable experience, and they have improved tremendously since then,” said Deograstias Wasswa, Secretary General of the Rwanda Boxing Federation.
“Our boxers have been training hard and have remained focused. The federation has also organized continuous events like the Kigali Fight Night which was highly competitive with participation of professional and amateur boxers from various countries. These initiatives were aimed at sharpening our boxers ahead of the Men’s World Boxing Championship in Dubai.”
As Rwanda continues to elevate its presence in international boxing, the Dubai World Championship marks another significant milestone in the federation’s efforts to build a stronger, more competitive national boxing team.
