Mauritius and Uganda become the latest African countries to join this vehicle which will transport some boxers to the Olympic Games_

Mauritius has officially joined World Boxing, becoming part of the 17 new national federations whose membership was approved this Thursday by the organization’s executive committee. With these new inductions, World Boxing now has 106 members worldwide.

A total of 11 African countries have now joined World Boxing.

Established in 2023 amid a governance crisis in the International Boxing Association (IBA), World Boxing positions itself as an alternative entity to defend boxing’s presence at the Olympics. In February 2024 it obtained provisional recognition from the International Olympic Committee (CIO), which had previously withdrawn its recognition from the IBA due to serious gaps in governance and financial management. The boxing tournament of the Paris Games 2024 was thus organized directly by the CIO. World Boxing will take over the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

Mauritius’ adherence to this structure is a significant advancement for the development of the discipline at the national level and guarantees better integration into the Olympic movement. Other new members include several major Olympic boxing nations: Colombia, Austria, Lebanon, Spain, Mexico, Cuba, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Macao, Chile, Venezuela, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates and Ireland.

In a statement, World Boxing highlights that its expansion now allows it to count “the ten most medal-winning nations in Olympic history (excluding Russia and the USSR) as well as ten of the top eleven nations of Paris 2024.”

The first world championships organized by World Boxing will take place next September in Liverpool. Mauritius could take its first steps under this new international banner.

MERCHANTS OF IMPUNITY ALLOW GUINEA’S KO’d BOXER TO FIGHT ON

▪️ If IBA rules on KO were adhered to the Guinean boxer should now be resting.

Guinea’s Mamadou Diallo is still at it in the circus that is the Africa Youth Boxing Championships in Conakry, Guinea.

He was KO’d in his first fight by Tunisia’s Hamza Khazri in the middleweight division but the IBA rule on KO has been ignored by the merchants of impunity.

On Saturday, May 24, the KO’d Diallo is back in the ring against Micock Jade of the Seychelles.

Interestingly, there’s been no official statement from the organisers on why Diallo is still fighting on instead of taking a break as required following a KO.

UGANDAN BOXER KIBIRA EXCITED TO MAKE PRO DEBUT IN KENYA’S MECCA OF BOXING

Ugandan boxing sensation and crowd puller Owen “Metrix” Kibira is so excited to make his pro debut in Nairobi, the Mecca of boxing in Kenya.

He’s one of the Ugandan boxers expected to thrill Kenyan fans and set ablaze the Charter Hall in the May 24 seven-bout card being promoted Steve Sembuya of 12 Sports Rounds Promotions.

“I’m so excited to fight in Nairobi, it’s a good beautiful city I like it here,” said Kibira during the weigh-in on Friday, May 24 at the Hill Park Hotel in Nairobi.

Kibira makes his pro debut against Tanzania’s Abdallah Yoba in a six-round super welterweight bout that will no doubt be among the highlights.

The 24-year-old promising Ugandan joins the bare-chested game following an impressive performance in the Champions League and for the national team popularly known as the Bombers.

“I’m happy to make my professional debut because it’s a big step in my career,” Kibira told boxersworld.co.ke

“I hope to display a good fight against my opponent from Tanzania ,” said Kibira who is aiming for an inside-the-distance win against Yoba.

“My aim is to knock him out but first I will entertain Nairobi fans with original Uganda boxing,” said a confident Kibira who hails from Wakiso District in Uganda.

Kibira ventured into boxing in 2017 at the Kyengera Boxing Club under coach Hajji Juma Nsubuga.

He made his international debut at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

At the 2022 Africa Championships in Maputo and the 2024 Africa Games in Accra, Ghana, he bowed out in the quarter-finals and won silver in the Kilimanjaro Championships in Tanzania.

Kibira was on fire in the Uganda Champions League, becoming a two-weight division champion in the welterweight and light-middleweight.

Why has has he decided to turn professional?

“I decided to turn pro to become a world champion and earn money in boxing.”

“My aim in pro boxing is to become one of the greatest pound for pound boxers,” said the quietly spoken but ruthless Kibira whose fifth round KO win over rival Nerrick Tumusiime in Season Three final of the Uganda Champions League remains one of his most memorable victories.

He staggered Tumusiime with a stunning left hook to the jaw and followed it up with a right to the head that floored Tumusiime at the UMA Showgrounds in Lugogo.

UGANDAN PROMOTER STEVE SEMBUYA LIGHTS UP NAIROBI

Ugandan US-based promoter Steve Sembuya is laughing from ear to ear after outwitting his detractors in Uganda to relocate to Kenya.

And tomorrow, May 24, Sembuya will stage his first ever pro card on Kenyan soil to announce his big arrival and has promised to light up the capital city Nairobi.

“I’m so excited and very happy finally I’ll stage my fights without interference from idlers in Kampala,” said Sembuya, adding:”Kenya is now my home, I appeal to other promoters in Uganda to join me in Kenya, the welcome has been fantastic.”

Sembuya shifted to Nairobi following what he described as oppressive laws introduced to frustrate promoters.

The new National Sports Act gave Uganda Boxing Federation the powers to manage pro boxing also.

“We can’t operate under an amateur body, it doesn’t make sense at all, we have been pushed out of business by our own government,” said Sembuya.

“Instead of assisting us get sponsors, and improve on the low standards in amateur boxing, they’re focusing on us, we’re in business.”

Sembuya’s seven-bout card will take place at Nairobi’s Charter Hall from 6pm. Charges are Sh500, Sh1,500 and Sh3000.

The main fight is between 32-year-old Henry Kasujja, a former butcher, who meets Tanzania’s Mussa Shuza (5-7-0, 2 KOs) in a 10-round non-title welterweight encounter.

Kasujja (11-1-1, 4 KOs), son of a former IBF junior middleweight champion Kassim “The Dream” Ouma, was originally scheduled to meet Malawi’s Charles Misanjo who withdrew and replaced by the Tanzanian who looked scared even before stepping into the ring.

Kasujja said he will slaughter Shuza predicting he will not go past the second round.

“Let him be prepared for heavy punishment and pain allover his body,” said Kasujja.

During the weigh-in on Friday, May 23, at the Hill Park Hotel, Shuza remained non-committal on his prospects.

“I’m here to fight, and will give my best,” said the subdued 35-year-old Tanzanian boxer from Tanga.

“I’ve been preparing well as a pro boxer, I’m okay.”

GUINEA’S KO’d BOXER MAMADOU DIALLO IN ACTION AGAIN TODAY

Despite being KO’d by Tunisia’s Hamza Khazri, Guinea’s middleweight Mamadou Diallo is back in action again today in the ongoing circus that is the Africa Youth Boxing Championships in Conakry, Guinea.

Merchants of impunity allowed the Guinean boxer to continue appearing in the tournament which is a gross violation of IBA’s rule on KO.

Diallo should not be allowed into the ring for his fight against South Africa’s Sangoni Mighty.

IBA rules clearly state once a boxer is KO’d he or she must rest for a specific period as recommended by the doctor.

Now suppose he’s KO’d again what happens next? The organisers are dangerously exposing the young boxer.

Meanwhile, Tunisia’s three female boxers who had no opponents after the draw are in the ring today against hand-picked unregistered boxers from a local club in Guinea.

Lightweight Molka Khelifi meets Fatoumata Camara, welterweight Haddaji Alma battles Rainatou Diallo and flyweight Khorchfi Chema fights Mariama Keita.

Taking into account the three Guinean boxers were not in the entry check list, it’s baffling whether they’re involved in friendly bouts or the actual competition itself.

IBA is already aware about the anomalies in the Guinea event. Whether they will use the big stick remains to be seen.

Uganda’s sole representative in Guinea, bantamweight Mwenda Joshua is also in action today against Libya’s Kesher Mohamed.

International Boxing Association (IBA) knockout rule has been flouted in the ongoing Africa Youth Boxing Championships in Conakry, Guinea.

A Guinean boxer, Mammadou Dialo, was KO’d by Tunisia’s Hamza Khakri in the opening day session on May 20.

Hardly had the KO’d Guinean boxer rested, he was back in action the following day to face Ghana’s Desmond Pappoe.

And on Thursday, May 22, the same Guinean boxer Mammadou Dialo is in the ring again to face South Africa’s Sangoni Mighty.

Whichever way we look at it, this is gross misconduct on the part of the organisers.

An influential R&J, commenting on the issue, said a rest is a must after a boxer is knocked out because that’s a general IBA guideline for a boxer to have sufficient recovery period before resuming action. The rest can be for weeks or a month depending on the severity of the knockout and the boxer’s overall health as determined by a medical professional.

“My understanding most KOs come from heavy blows,” said the R&J, and went on: “Remember these are youth boxers not elite. If we damage them when still young it’s a shame. Even the round-robit format being applied because of low entry is not good health wise for the young boxers. Long back we used to have a decision of TKO which was removed to allow RSC because of the probation periods or rest period that’s why you see most results are RSC but if it’s a KO a rest period is needed even it can be days or a week but a rest is needed.”

IBA’s rule on a KO states: When the result of a bout is a KO or RSC, the Ringside Doctor must fill out and sign a Medical Bout Report.
1) The Ringside Doctor delivers the medical report to the Technical Delegate with a recommendation on how many days are prescribed and/or the protective sanitary measurers to be taken.
2) The Ringside Doctor must send a copy of the report to the IBA Head Office to upload the document in the IBA Database and sends it to the National Federation concerned.

The aforementioned IBA rule was not observed in the case of the Guinean boxer who was KO’d.

It will be interesting to see how the IBA reacts to this violation on the KO rule by the organisers of the eight-nation Africa Youth Boxing Championships in Conakry, Guinea

▪ Now organisers want them face boxers from a Guinean club
▪ Tunisian national coach Montassar Ghanouni laments on shoddy organisation

Tunisian world junior bronze medallist Molka Khelifi and her two compariots have no official opponents in the Africa Youth Boxing Championships which started on Tuesday, May 20, in Conakry, Guinea.

Molka, a quarter finalist in last year’s World Youth Championships in Montenegro, is entered in the lightweight division.Her other teammates without official opponents are flyweight Chama Khorchfi and welterweight Alaa Haddaji.

In a desperate bid to save face, the organisers are understood to have handpicked their opponents from a local club.

“They told me that they found them opponents from one club in Conakry without registration,” Tunisia’s national coach Montassar Ghanouni told boxersworld.co.ke

A furious Ghanouni has unleashed a two-fisted barrage on the Africa Boxing Confederation (AFBC) describing the tournament as a big embarrassment to Africa boxing.

“It’s really shameful and sad after preparing our boxers for this continental event, and having wasted so much money to buy tickets to Guinea, we find ourselves in the draw without opponents for our three female boxers,” said Ghanouni.

He went on: “We invested in these young boxers so that they can experience competitive boxing at this level before moving on to the senior category.

“But with this poor management of the current AFBC Board everything is lost. The future of African boxing is not at all clear under these circumstances and for that reason we no longer have hope on a world scale unless there’s a revolution and total overhaul on the way we manage boxing in Africa.”

If the three Tunisian boxers eventually face the three Guinean club boxers they will just be involved in friendly contests because the Guinean club boxers are not officially registered for the event and were not in the draws.

Tunisia is represented by five boys and four girls in the low-key nine-nation tournament.

“Our female minimumweight Lina Dhawadi is with two other boxers,” said Ghanouni.

Interestingly the organisers are so embarrassed on the clumsy manner they have handled the event that so far they have not released the drawsheet, list of the participating countries and the number of boxers per country yet this is vital information which should be shared to the participants and the media.

The AFBC ship is sinking as passengers scream for dear life. Soon some will start jumping out into the deep sea. Things are elephant.

AFBC’S STAFFER DAWIT JUMPS OUT OF THE SINKING SHIP

Dawit Wasihun has jumped out of the sinking ship to save his dear life.

Reliable sources told boxersworld.co.ke that the journalist-cum-lawyer is understood to have quit as Africa Boxing Confederation (AFBC) Communication and Media Director, citing unhealthy working environment, mismanagement not to mention that he has not been paid his salary for the last six months.

Going without his salary was the last straw, and on realising the ship is sinking Dawit – in his life jacket – threw caution to the wind and wisely dived into the deep sea braving the shark-infested waters as the dancing ship battles relentless violent waves and a heavy downpour.

Dawit joined AFBC in June, 2024, and has been managing AFBC’s website and all social media platforms.

Efforts to contact Dawit were unsuccessful but it’s understood all is not well at the financially-crippled AFBC headquarters in Addis Ababa.

My eagle-eyed source said other staffers have already jumped out of the sinking
ship to safety.

“How do you expect people to work on empty stomachs, they have families to feed,” said the source and that currently there is no activity in the office.

Contacted, AFBC acting secretary general, Yohanes Birhane, did not respond for obvious reasons but I’m reliably informed he also wanted to resign after the AFBC Congress in Dubai last December but decided to grudgingly continue working despite doing so without his monthly salary. He’s now strategically placed at the tailend of the sinking ship ready to dive out at the opportune moment.

ONLY 46 BOXERS FROM EIGHT COUNTRIES ARE IN GUINEA

Finally we have got the official entry of boxers and the participating countries.

An authoritative source shared the info to boxersworld.co.ke after the organisers declined to share this important information.

It’s only eight – and not nine – countries taking part in the Africa Youth Boxing Championships in Guinea.

In total, 46 boxers – 37 boys and nine girls – are in Guinea for the youth tournament watered down by few participants.

It’s been difficult to get vital information such as the official list of participants, stats and the drawsheet.

The opening session does also not state whether the bouts were round of 16, quarter-finals or semi-finals.