Reigning Africa light-welterweight champion John Paul Masamba made a successful professional debut on Sunday (March 30) in Osaka, Japan, outpointing China’s Yesibolati Nasiyiwula
in a six-round bout.
And Masamba has demanded payment of prize money for all the boxers who participated in the AFBC African Men’s and Women’s Boxing Championships in 2024 in Kinshasa, DR Congo.
In Osaka, the South African boxer put up a dominant show at light-welterweight to signal his entry in the bare chested game.
“I’m so happy to turn professional, I’m at peace with myself away from our dishonest and opportunistic Africa boxing leaders, they just want to use boxers for their own benefit, very few have the interest of boxing at heart,” Masamba told boxersworld.co.ke in a telephone interview from Osaka.
“Life in Osaka is fine, a world apart from our struggle back home and disrespectful people, here the Japanese are disciplined with a lot of respect for visitors.
“I’m living my dream, I’m in my own apartment and really admiring Japanese technology, I have my own bike I ride to the gym and back, almost everybody here has a bicycle.”
On the Kinshasa prize money, Masamba said boxers are surprised why there was no mention of their prize money during the tournament. Masamba won gold in the light-welterweight division.
“In Maputo and Yaounde boxers were paid their prize money, why not Kinshasa?, we want to know when AFBC will pay us our prize money,” said Masamba.
“Before departure to Kinshasa, officials of SANABO assured us there’s prize money but we were surprised nobody asked for our bank accounts, we were not even paid our allowances, many African boxers are suffering in silence victims of unprofessional conduct of their officials, they have little regard for
boxers, just liars.”
While thanking the International Boxing Association (IBA) for assisting Africa through the introduction of prize money, Masamba, whose father is Congolese, challenged the Africa Boxing Confederation to look for sponsors and pay the prize money.
“For how long will Africa just be relying on foreigners, there’s a lot of money in Africa if the right people are approached to support AFBC, they should avoid embarrassing the continent by begging from IBA all the time, and this is why they don’t respect us.”
Masamba went on:”In Africa we don’t like each other, we’re always quarelling and stealing from each other. I’m happy I’m away from these vultures. I pray to God to give me strength to succeed in Japan.”
Masamba, who met his relatives in Kinshasa after a long time, blasted South Africa’s boxing federation for hurriedly returning the team back home instead of boxers being given a chance to remain in Kinshasa until the tournament is over.
“I remember how I was rushed out of the boxing hall with my fellow boxers like thieves to catch our flight back home,” recalls a bitter Masamba.
“What was the hurry for? did they want to save some money for themselves?,” wondered Masamba.
