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This year’s “Nyerere Golden Award” - International Boxing Federation Africa (IBF/Africa)  By way of Dog House Boxing (Sept 9, 2015)Tweet Follow @DoghouseBoxing |
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Although we were informed about the nomination two months ago, we kept praying that we emerged on top. While our prayers have been answered we take great pride and honor to thank each and everybody who have helped and enabled us to render our services to boxing stakeholders and communities across Africa, Middle East & Persian Gulf. Our journey to the present position has not been either easy or smooth ride as we took every challenge that we faced as part of our work. Over these past 15 years since our inception in 1999 we have achieved a lot on several fronts. Our great accomplishments is the fact that we aim to assist mostly young generation to come to terms with the reality of global challenges in the 21st century. Although our main role is to sanction and supervise boxing as professional sport, we have managed to identify and work on other activities outside the ring that contribute towards development of both youth’s skills and careers. We have also been working with nations in Africa to mediate peace and tranquility at the horn of Africa and most particularly our involvement in South Sudan where we joined a network of NGOs to advocate peace and tranquility in Southern Sudan. Under the auspices of African Union (AU) the body that coordinate and supervise political union of the 54+ independent African countries with headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, I have had frequent visits to participate in the advocacy campaign to unite the warring factions of South Sudan. As a result peace has now been restored in South Sudan after an accord was signed by the two major warring factions last month. Another great achievement for our community development is the Sports Tourism initiative in Tanzania as we have managed to sensitize and contribute towards development of domestic tourism by encouraging youths and mostly those in schools to take part and visit the national tourist attractions. While these efforts are ongoing but, our collaborations with Tanzania Tourism Board (TTB), Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), ZARA Tanzania Adventures and many others have been profoundly successful. Our “IBF/Africa Mount Kilimanjaro Climb Expedition” has been very successful as it has encouraged many youths in secondary schools and colleges to take part each year. This year, the Climb will unite with Knockout Albinos Killers Boxing Tournament in Dar Es Salaam November 13th and Mwanza November 20th whereas IBF/Africa Marathon and IBF/Africa Mt. Climbing Expedition will take place at Moshi from November 27th and 28th. Supporting Miss Tanzania 2012 Brigitte Alfred Foundation at its ongoing advocacy campaign against Albinos atrocities in Tanzania has also been our greatest achievements. For centuries Albinos have been killed, mutilated and maimed by severing their limbs for witchcrafts and other beliefs. We take pride in saying that our involvement in the same has been a great success as we have managed to informed millions of people around the world about the Albinos plights in Tanzania. As a results of our worldwide campaign, the Global Medical Relief Fund in the USA, took a keen interest to our campaign and took a number of Albinos kids with severe limbs to the USA for treatments. Doctors at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Philadelphia recently created new artificial limbs for Albinois youngsters. The hospital also provided housing about two hours away in the borough of Staten Island and organized all their daily, medical and travel needs. All these achievements could not have happened if it was not for the great campaign supporting Brigitte Alfred Foundation and Tanzania Albino Society (TAS). IBF/Africa has also invested a lot in youth development and it has provided scholarships to several boxers to study driving at Vocational Educational and Training Authority (VETA) so that they may have other skills besides boxing. The scholarships will expand to provide proficiency English language and basic contractual training to boxers so that they may understand contracts that are suppose to sign as it has been a great problem to them. The training will also involve basic entrepreneurial that will help them be able to manage and invest their income. They will also learn bookkeeping and business plans for their small investments. In Tanzania we are working with Tanzania Vocational Education and Training Association (TAVETA) as a pilot and initial discussions with International Vocational Education and Training Association (IVETA) to initiate similar training for boxers in other countries in Africa, Middle East & Persian Gulf. We are also keen to advise on the development of female boxing skills as this area seems to be very difficult one because of the negative perceptions in the society. People think that when a woman builds muscles she would not be a good wife so it deter girls from joining boxing. We are planning to work with women organizations especially Brigitte Alfred Foundation to reach girls in different groups so that they may join boxing. On the boxing side, we take pride for being the most visible and efficient boxing organization that takes pride as well as commitment on anything that we are doing. We adhere to the rules and regulations and do not succumb to the influence of boxing stakeholders in discharging our duties. We have initiated a “IBF/Africa Progression Pathway” that take boxers from regional, continental level to International, Intercontinental and world rankings where they work their way up to the titles. We have excellent examples for our work and most visible ones are: Helen Joseph of Nigeria who is scheduled to fight for the World Female Fetr5aherwight Title at El, Paso, Texas, USA September 19, 2015. Also, Richard Commey of Ghana who upon becoming IBF Continental Africa champion went on to win the Commonwealth title, IBF Intercontinental Title and now is rated at #4 in the IBF World ratings. Freddy Lawson also from Ghana won the IBF Continental Africa Welterweight title and became the official Manny Pacquiao sparring partner and move to the USA. Freddy is now rated at #6 at the IBF World ratings. We have sanctioned, supervised and elevated the status of many boxers from Zambia, Botswana, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Morocco, South Africa, Namibia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar and many other counties in Africa, Middle East & Persian Gulf. I want to thank mostly, the IBF/USBA Board of Directors, President of the IBF/USBA Daryl Peoples for his unquestionable supports throughout these years since he was the Ratings Chairman, Lindsey Tucker the Chairman of the IBF/USBA Championship Committee for his endless efforts to give African boxers opportunity to fight for titles, Anibal Miramontes the Chairman of the IBF/USBA Ratings Committee for ranking African boxers. Jeanette Salazar the PRO Director of IBF/USBA, Arnold Peoples the IBF Assistant Administrator, Tracy Lundy the Bookkeeper of IBF/USBA, Ruth Jimenez the Executive assistant to the President of IBF/USBA for their great support to IBF/Africa throughout these years. Also, my gratitude should go to my immediate assistants Simon Andjamba of Namibia who is the IBF/Africa Vice President (Finance), Mehrak Dashab of Dubai IBF/Africa Vice President (Marketing), Mosses Valentino, IBF/Africa Vice President (Administration) Tanzania, Yassin Abdallah IBF/Africa Commissioner to Tanzania, Jane Kiwara IBF/Africa legal adviser, Nancy Cosmas my Administration Secretary, Sia Njau, Treasurer. Also, my gratitude should go to all promoters who have promoted IBF/Africa titles, sponsors, managers, matchmakers, boxing agents, local sanction bodies, journalists, media houses, and above all the BOXERS for our titles. I want to give special thanks to our IBF Continental Africa and IBF Africa, Middle East & Persian Gulf (IBF AM&PG) Champions and the contenders. Our works have just begun and yet we have a long way to go to accomplish our ultimate target that is to make as many boxers from Africa, Middle East & Persian Gulf champions of the world and be able to earn sustainable incomes. Please continue supporting us for the betterment of boxing in Africa, Middle East & Persian Gulf. |
