- ▪️Surprise! Surprise! Instead of African boxing leaders speaking with one voice on behalf of their boxers, some self-serving officials have told their affiliates to keep off IBA Africa tournaments. Ring analysts have questioned their motive and whether they value boxers’ overall welfare
▪️Interestingly, World Boxing has not publicly stated their affiliates are not allowed to take part in IBA events. And I don’t think WB’s President Gennadiy Golovkin – an outstanding boxer of repute – can stoop this low to stop boxers taking part in IBA’s prize money tournaments because there is nothing to gain from such a selfish decision other than denying boxers their right of association and taking part in events of their choice especially in this era of liberalisation
▪️Positively, IBA and WB are now in very good working terms. There’s no enmity at all. So all that’s happening in Africa is just hot air from a few misinformed opportunists pushing their own selfish agenda after falling out with the Umar Kremlev-led organisation whose primary objective is improving the lifestyle of boxers worldwide.
May 18, 2026
Europe and Asia have always had their boxing calendar packed with major and local tournaments. In contrast, Africa has over the years lacked regular competitions with an exception of the Africa Championships and the African Games.
For instance this year, there’s no major tournament held so far. African boxers are therefore starved of ring time and big competitions.
Now comes the irony: one would expect the African boxing leaders to unite and introduce money-spinning tournaments and championship events but instead some self-serving and egocentric officials aligned to the World Boxing-affiliated African Boxing are now cautioning their affiliates from taking part in IBA Africa tournaments forgetting that most African countries are dual members of IBA and WB. Therefore one wonders which affiliates are they addressing?
Interestingly, World Boxing has not publicly stated their affiliates are not allowed to take part in IBA events. And I don’t think WB’s President Gennadiy Golovkin – an outstanding boxer of repute – can stoop this low to stop boxers taking part in IBA’s prize money tournaments because there is nothing to gain from such a selfish decision other than denying boxers their right of association and taking part in events of their choice especially in this era of liberalisation.
One loaded million dollar question remains: Whom are these officials speaking for and do they have the interests of boxers at heart?
When some boxing executives call for boxers to sit out of IBA-organised events, they are fundamentally not speaking for the boxers, the coaches or the sport’s development but are doing it for their own selfish interests more specifically fighting the IBA from whom some of them have benefitted a great deal not to mention stealing money sent by the IBA for boxers and development.
They have forgotten that through the IBA, the Africa Elite Championships has been transformed into a prize money event from 2022 in Maputo, Mozambique. Yet the African Championships started in 1962 but the leadership had not introduced any tangible reward until the IBA came to their rescue from 2022.
It’s on record top African boxers such as Morocco’s 2023 female world heavyweight champion Khadija Mardi, Zambia’s boxing posterboy Patrick Chinyemba, Mozambique star female boxers Alcinda Dos Santos and Rady Gramane have expressed their profound gratitude to the IBA on how the prize money has changed their lives.
Mardi bought a house in Casablanca, Chinyemba built a house in Lusaka, so did Alcinda also build a beautiful house saying unlike the past when they were rained on, now her mother and siblings are living well. Gramane has invested in shares through the IBA prize money.
Boxers hold the IBA in high esteem, and we’re wondering why boxers are not consulted before some rogue officials filled with vengeance and hatred make a ridiculous announcement on social media warning their so called affiliates on taking part in IBA Africa events.
Yet they know very well boxers are the main actors in boxing. The services of these bigots are not that important. We also know their boxing knowledge and interest is limited. You’ll hardly see them discussing boxers but their own issues. Little wonder the IBA kicked out some of them from leadership and eventually dissolved the ineffective AFBC much to the chagrin of those who were eating IBA’s money through the African body.
What these myopic and egocentric officials should know is that a boxer’s prime earning years and competitive window are short. Therefore attempting to deny access to international competitions – especially when alternative opportunities in Africa are scarce – indicates that these officials are speaking exclusively for themselves.
They are leveraging young athletic talent as pawns in high-level geopolitical and administrative turf wars, protecting their own personal authority rather than the livelihoods of the boxers.
While one cannot make a literal medical diagnosis without clinical evaluation, their behavior is certainly highly questionable and deeply detached from the core mission of sports administration. It takes a highly selfish mindset to actively suppress the athletic growth of the very people they are supposed to serve. To boxing fans and the broader African sports community, this behavior looks like an agonizing contradiction: officials who are completely out of touch with the reality of what it takes to build a champion. Instead of fostering growth and facilitating every possible chance to compete, they are actively stifling the sport.
When we focus on 2026, Africa has so far not staged any major international competition but in Europe and Asia several tournaments for elite, youth and junior boxers have taken place. Africa’s upcoming first international championships in 2026 is IBA Africa Zone 4 for Southern African countries taking place in Namibia from May 24-30. Word has it the same evil-hearted officials are trying to sabotage the Namibia show to embarrass the IBA, the same body that has changed the lives of top African boxers. How ungrateful can Africa be? Seriously this uncouth, primitive and shameless behaviour calls for urgent scrutiny. It’s a big embarrassment to the African continent.
Positively, IBA and WB are now in very good working terms. There’s no enmity at all. So all that’s happening in Africa is just hot air from a few misinformed opportunists pushing their own selfish agenda after falling out with the Umar Kremlev-led organisation whose primary objective is improving the lifestyle of boxers worldwide.
