AFRICAN BOXERS EXCITED ON NEW AFBC PRO BOXING

AFRICAN BOXERS EXCITED ON NEW AFBC PRO BOXING

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Madagascar’s Miora Tina Karene Andriamiarisoa is psyched up for her five-round minimumweight tough duel against Tunisia’s African Games silver medallist Wafa Hafsi in the first ever Africa Boxing Confederation (AFBC) Pro Boxing contest scheduled for Tunis on January 24 at the Sidi Boussaid Gymnasium.

She knows fighting the Tunisian boxer at home will be not be like a beach picnic.

“I expect a difficult fight against my talented and experienced opponent, as a silver medallist in the African Games she’s not a boxer to be underrated,” Miora Tina told boxersworld.co.ke in a telephone interview.

“She’s a formidable fighter whom I respect enormously for her success, it will be an honour to face her I’m ready to give my best.”

A double bronze medallist in the 2017 and 2024 Africa Championships, the 27-year-old Miora Tina has a record of 34 wins and two defeats in amateur boxing. At the 2024 Africa Championships in Kinshasa, she lost in the semi-finals to the eventual gold medallist Nyembo Gisele of DR Congo.

In addition to her silver medal in the Accra African Games, Hafsi is also a bronze medallist in the 2023 Africa Championships and a bronze medallist in the 2022 Mediterranean Games.

She’s also looking forward to this big day in Africa boxing.

“We boxers are so happy that eventually we have our own pro boxing, we thank our federation president (Barbouche Zied) for being part of this big initiative and having us host the first series,” said Hafsi.

Miora Tina too – like most African boxers – is excited that finally the continent has introduced its own version of professional boxing, and for the first time she’ll fight in a five rounder and be paid immediately after her bout.

“This is the progress we’ve been yearning for in Africa, we’re proud of our African body for this great project,” said Miora Tina, adding: “The integration of professional boxing into AFBC is a major step forward to us boxers. This finally gives African boxers a platform to shine while benefiting from often overlooked financial support.”

Miora Tina said the newly-introduced AFBC Pro Boxing is the most cherished gift to boxers this year from AFBC.

“This project is not limited to improving economic conditions of the current boxers, it also inspires the new generation of boxers to believe in their dreams. It’s a step in the right direction to turn passion into a profession.”