▪️WB-aligned African Boxing boss wins praise across the continent for officially allowing his affiliates take part in IBA events for the benefit of the boxers
August 10, 2026
The wisdom of King Solomon Kargbo, President of WB-aligned African Boxing body, has officially saved boxers in the continent from the destructive trap of anti-IBA elements who have openly showed they don’t have the interests of boxers at heart.
By decreeing that African boxers can freely compete in IBA events, Kargbo has lived up to his biblical namesake, putting the livelihoods of boxers above petty administrative warfare.
Kargbo and his board have risen above the political noise only detrimental to the future of African boxers. His body is affiliated to World Boxing which was formed to safeguard Olympic boxing after the IOC deregistered the International Boxing Association.
He was elected African Boxing President by acclamation during the inaugural continental congress held on December 28, 2025, in Lagos, Nigeria. Elected Vice Presidents were the powerful Nigerian tycoon who’s the founder and owner of Yucateco Promotions Omonlei Yakubu Imadu and smooth crafty operator Anta Gueye. Cyprien Tamo is the Secretary-General.
Anti-IBA critics, or clowns if you like, within Africa maliciously pushed for a total boycott of IBA events without putting into account Africa currently has almost zero alternative to elite competitions outside the IBA-organized Africa Elite Championships. Their hypocrisy was exposed because they offered no alternative tournaments or bringing on board sponsors other than soiling the image of African Boxing with their senseless remarks and childishly discrediting IBA Africa leadership under the respected Interim President Ferdinand Ilunga Luyoyo. To knowledgeable boxing insiders in Africa, Luyoyo is way above them and operating in a different league altogether.
Interestingly, global boxing powerhouses like Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries have comfortably participated in IBA and WB events without penalty but some evil-hearted officials aligned to African Boxing had warned of dire consequences if affiliates of African Boxing body take part in IBA tournaments, a position that exposed their mediocrity.
Critics pushing for boycotts have been described by boxing analysts as bitter outcasts settling personal scores with IBA at the expense of the most important people in boxing: the boxers.
Kargbo’s wise decision therefore leaves these vocal detractors completely discredited, naked and embarrassed. Their sissy punches at IBA have left them with egg on their faces. Now they know IBA is like a baobab tree that cannot be easily brought down. It’s laughable they were using a razor blade to chop down the strong tree which can live up to 5000 years.
“Our boxers need a lot of tournaments in both WB and IBA, and other international boxing organisations,” Kargbo told boxersworld.co.ke on phone, adding a clincher:”We need teamwork in Africa for our boxers to realize their dreams.”
Kargbo confirmed a board meeting took place arriving at the wise decision officially allowing their affiliates take part in IBA tournaments and those of other organisations.
The African Boxing’s circular to all their affiliates reads: “Following consultations with World Boxing, and in line with the decision taken by the Executive Board of African Boxing during its meeting held on 6 August 2026, we wish to inform all affiliated National Federations that there are currently no restrictions on national teams or athletes participating in events organized by other boxing organizations.
“This position reflects African Boxing’s commitment to ensuring athlete development, competitive exposure, and the continued growth of boxing across the continent.”
Across Africa, the wise decision by Kargbo is viewed as a testament to his pragmatic leadership. In a sporting landscape often fractured by political infighting, malice and bitter personal rivalries, Kargbo’s move is the visionary tonic over bureacracy that Africa boxing needed to move forward.
For years, global boxing threatened to trap athletes in the crossfire of organisational disputes. Kargbo wisely refused to let African boxing talent become collateral damage.
His philosophy is simple: boxers need to fight irrespective of the body organising the competition. By prioritizing the boxers’ immediate livelihoods and career progression, Kargbo demonstrated unparralled wisdom ignoring noise from some selfish anti-IBA critics who have no interest on boxers’ welfare except to satisfy their own personal deals in boxing. As an experienced administrator, Kargbo knows the critics – currently taking shelter in the African Boxing body – after falling out with IBA, are not sincere other than pretending to support AB but if enticed by handouts from IBA they will run away from AB without notice. In essence, Kargbo knows these are opportunists and “guns for hire” whose aim is not the development of the sport in Africa but they are only in boxing for self gratification.
The African Boxing boss knows the consequences of an idle boxer, and to avoid the immense boxing talent going to waste due to selfish interests of a few egocentric individuals, he chose the wiser move of letting them participate in IBA tournaments that offer significant prize money to the boxers. To many African boxers, these purses are not just perks; they fund their training, family survival and investment in worthy projects.
Top African boxers such as Morocco’s three-time Africa champion and 2023 World Championships gold medallist Khadija Mardi, two-time Africa champion Alcinda Dos Santos of Mozambique and Zambia’s celebrated African Games champion Patrick Chinyemba have on various occasions told boxersworld.co.ke how IBA’s prize money has changed their lives.
“The 100,000 dollars I earned for winning world heavyweight title in India has enabled me buy a house in Casablanca,” said a proud Mardi while Alcinda and Chinyemba have built decent family houses.
“When it rained, we all got wet because of the poor structure, it got better, and now I have my own house thanks to the IBA prize money,” said Alcinda.
She went on: “The IBA has made the dreams of many boxers worldwide become a reality. With the IBA prize money we have had the opportunity to go back to school, and invest for the future.
“I had a family that sometimes survived on one meal per day, and when it rained, we all got wet inside the house. It got better, now I have my own beautiful house living comfortably with my family members, and we no longer suffer from the rain. Many thanks to the entire IBA team especially President Umar Kremlev who has tirelessly worked for the improvement of boxers’ lives through prize money tournaments. That’s a huge achievement, it never happened before, and we understand the great things that he has done.”
With Kargbo’s announcement allowing their affiliates take part in IBA events, boxing giants like Nigeria, the reigning African Games champions, have no excuse to skip the upcoming IBA Africa Elite Men’s and Women’s Championships in Kinshasa from October 18-31, 2026.
Asked whether he will be in Kinshasa for Africa’s flagship boxing event, Kargbo said:” Why not provided I receive an official invitation and General Luyoyo is a leader I respect for his passion in the sport.”
Kargbo and General Luyoyo have had a long working association in boxing. Both were in the same camp fighting the regime of former deposed President of the defunct Africa Boxing Confederation (AFBC) Eyassu Berhanu. IBA’s sucker punch that eventually knocked out Eyassu & Co was a sweet victory for Luyoyo and Kargbo.
It therefore came as no surprise when Kargbo travelled all the way to Kinshasa to meet Luyoyo in the wake of threats sometime back by a section of the African Boxing body that they will punish their affiliates taking part in IBA events.
The historic high-level meeting yielded an immediate breakthrough:
A crucial truce was struck, captured visually in widely shared photographs of Kargbo and Luyoyo smiling and shaking hands, demonstrating absolute solidarity.
The unity forged between Kargbo and Luyoyo successfully neutralised the breakaway threats, leading to massive institutional alignment across the continent.
“At my meeting with General Luyoyo I promised to take a decision in the best interests of boxers and Africa not for Solomon or General,” Kargbo told boxersworld.co.ke
Indeed Kargbo lived up to his promise because the ultimate winners in his latest decision are the boxers. Without boxers, the suits have no sport to govern.
