RWANDA GOING TO THE BIG BOXING PARTY IN NAIROBI
▪️ The newly-elected President Bashir Ntwari promises a raft of measurers aimed at restructuring the management of boxing in the bedevilled federation
Rwanda will for the first time take part in the Africa Zone 3 Boxing Championships scheduled for Nairobi from October 15-25.
The newly-elected Rwanda Boxing Federation President Bashir Ntwari confirmed their participation.
“We’re definitely going to Nairobi for the Zone 3 competition, we’ll make the official communication on Monday (September 15),” Ntwari told boxersworld.co.ke in a phone chat.
“We’re are yet to finalise the team to represent us in Nairobi, we will release the list of the boxers travelling to Nairobi in our communication.”
Rwanda becomes the 10th country to indicate their participation in the Africa Zone 3 Championships.
Other participante are defending champions DR Congo, Tanzania, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Somalia, Gabon and hosts Kenya.
AFBC Zone 3 comprises 14 member countries. The remaining four yet to confirm are Uganda, Chad, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic.
Rwanda’s maiden participation in the Africa Zone 3 Championships will be a big morale booster for the boxers who have been starved of elite tournaments for a long time.
The last time Rwanda took part in a major continental event was in the 2014 Africa Youth Games in Botswana where Jean Pierre Cyiza won Rwanda’s first ever continental medal – a bronze in the lightweight division.
This will also be the first international competition for the Bashir Ntwari – led office which came into power in the June elections.
Ntwari defeated Rurangayire Guy by 9-2 votes
In addition to Ntwari, the other top members of the executive committee are 1st Vice-President Emma Asmin, 2nd Vice-President Fabrice Ntwari, Secretary-General Deo Wasswa and treasurer Joselyn Ingabire.
The elections were preceded by internal strife in the federation with some members opposed to the leadership of Vick Kalisa whom they accused of high handedness.
Things came to a head in December, 2024, when the Secretary-General Bigirimana Rafiki Boston resigned in a huff.
In his resignation letter addressed to the president, Bigirimana said he did so because of Kalisa’s failed leadership.
His resignation letter read in part:”It’s with regret that I have made this decision due to the leadership failure within the Rwanda Boxing Federation. I have tried to address the issue through the proper channel but nobody bothered to listen to me.”
After quitting the federation, Bigirimana is understood to have gone to the bush to fight Kalisa’s regime.
The election of Ntwari is therefore, sweet music to Bigirimana and other officials who were opposed to Kalisa’s leadership.
In an interview with boxersworld.co.ke, Ntwari, a former boxer based in England, first spoke on their participation in the Africa Zone 3 Championships in Nairobi.
“We’re preparing both men and women across multiple weight categories. The aim is to showcase Rwanda’s talent and compete with pride,” he said.
“The Nairobi team will be announced after our executive committee meeting. We believe in transparency, every good boxer deserves a fair chance to be in the team.”
Commenting on the June elections that brought him to power, Ntwari said they were conducted in a transparent manner.
“I was elected alongside a new executive team, while two officials from the previous administration were retained for continuity. Leading the federation is an honour, and I take the responsibility seriously.”
The two officials previously in the Kalisa regime are the 1st Vice-President Emma Asmin and Secretary-General Deo Wasswa.
I ask Ntwari on his game plan to ensure the relatively unknown Rwanda boxers make an impact in Africa boxing.
“Our focus is on grassroots development, building a pathway from amateur to professional, improving coaching and refereeing standards, and securing strong partnerships. We also want to host international events to expose our boxers.”
How does he view the current boxing standards in Rwanda?
“We have the talent,” he said “but we need stronger systems and consistent competitions. The potential is high, and our job is to close the gap with the best in Africa.”
Ntwari also shared his boxing background.
“I boxed in England between 2008 and 2012 while at University of Portsmouth where I attained a masters in communication systems engineering.
“I competed in the light heavyweight division. My highlights were winning gold at the 2009 England University Championships in my first year of boxing, gold again at the 2010 BUCS Games, and representing England universities against Malta in 2011.
“Unfortunately, a shoulder injury cut my career short, but I carried that passion forward, returning to Rwanda to establish the first professional boxing facility, SOHO Boxing (@sohoboxing) on social media, and now leading the federation.”
Ntwari, who was brought up in London, returned to Rwanda in 2021 and is now a businessman.
“I opened a Sport, Fitness and Wellness business group. We’ve invested in gyms and welness cafe.”
