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Its
about three in the morning and I
am waiting for the taxi to
collect me.
The
drive to the airport is about
thirty minutes, followed by a
two hour flight to Namibia.
Upon
my arrival in Windhoek, I will
meet up with WBF referee Darryl
Ribbink, and the two of us will
be driven 500 miles to a small
town in Western Namibia for a
WBF intercontinental title
fight.
There are no hotels in the town
where we are going...
Two
weeks later its a visit to
Zambia for a WBF woman's title
fight, and two weeks after that
its a return to Dar Es Salaam,
Tanzania.
The
column this month is about
African boxing. What does the
continent of Africa have to
offer the world of boxing?
Much
of Africa is third world - but
there are hundreds of
professional fighters training
in makeshift gyms, with the
smallest amount of equipment
available to them, with no
nutritionists and no dieticians,
with handed down gloves, who
simply dream of opportunities to
become world champions and
heroes to their country.
The World
Boxing Federation, has as one of
its diverse aims, a focus on
providing talented fighters from
Africa opportunities to grow.
Opportunities to make something
of their lives, and to earn a
good living, but at the same
time, become inspirational
sportsmen and sportswomen to
their many respective supporters
in their countries.
There is great boxing talent in
Africa, some of it discovered,
and other at this time remaining
unearthed. The World Boxing
Federation will continue to
strive to afford opportunities
to these fighters, we will
continue to support struggling
promoters in Africa who try to
allow their top fighters
opportunities.
We will
continue to remain humble in our
support to these countries,
while we build strong
relationships with various
promoters from these countries.
Somewhere in
Africa, at this moment, training
in a gym with minimal equipment,
is a fighter we do not know, and
we have not yet met. He could
well be another Azumah Nelson!
He deserves the opportunity to
fight for a title and become a
future world champion.
The
taxi has arrived, gotta run.
Until next time, keep boxing.
Howard Goldberg
PRESIDENT: World Boxing
Federation
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