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Photo:
WBF Executive Committee Chairman
Torben Seemann Hansen (far
right) welcomes to the WBF
Convention former world champion
Donny Lalonde, current female
world champion Christina Hammer,
reigning Intercontinental
champion Gogi Knezevic as well
as upcoming title challenger Eva
Voraberger.
Even though delegates flocked in
all through the day, the opening
day of the World Boxing
Federation Convention in
Saarbruecken, Germany already
saw a busy schedule. All morning
was reserved for meetings of WBF
President Howard Goldberg and
Vice President Jean Marcel Nartz
with staff members from
different countries as well as
both the Championship and
Executive Committees, in which
new strategies were discussed
and reports submitted on past
workings.
The early afternoon was reserved
for an introduction of the book
by WBF Womens World Light
welterweight champion Rola El
Halabi. Hosted by the
Saarbruecker Zeitung, the
leading local daily newspaper,
Rola read from her book and then
discussed the nightmare of being
shot in knees, hands and feet in
the dressing room by her
estranged stepfather moments
before a title fight in 2011 –
and her struggle back into life
and, incredibly, back into the
ring to become world champion
once again.
Everybody was deeply moved by
listening to Rola’s story and
most will treasure the signed
copy of the book they purchased,
which contains one of the most
unbelievable fates in boxing
history.
Still at the Forum of the
Saarbruecker Zeitung, WBF
President Howard Goldberg
afterwards conducted the
official opening ceremony of the
WBF Convention. Both the
Saarbruecken mayor Frau
Charlotte Britz and the Sarre
Prime Minister Frau Annegret
Kramp-Karrenbauer addressed the
delegates, welcoming them to
their (capital) city, before the
attending WBF champions were
introduced. The high-ranking
politicians both received awards
of acknowledgement from the WBF,
which were handcrafted by South
African artists.
Followed by the personal
introductions of all delegates
and guests, especially former
legendary world champions Donny
Lalonde and two-weight WBF
Womens World Champion Christina
Hammer as guests of honour, the
German boxing federation BDF
gave a welcome message through
their vice president Artur
Ellensohn.
Then Jean Marcel Nartz gave a
thorough presentation of the
World Boxing Federation, its
history, its currents status
and, especially, its philosophy
which sets the WBF apart from
the other organizations. “We do
not participate in dreaming up
new titles every week to become
the farce others have become.
Silver titles, Youth titles,
Super titles, Diamond titles –
the organizations doing such
things are a cancer to boxing,”
said Nartz.
“Furthermore, the WBF does not
become a family monarchy where
obeisance’s, hotel suites and
first class flights for the
president and his entourage must
be paid. We also don’t
manipulate our ratings to
justify our actions, we fully
accept the boxrec computer
ratings. Plus our fees are
simple and low in comparison.
All this corruption in boxing
must stop, this is what we fight
for, and this is why the other
organizations fight the WBF:
Because we expose them!”.
Finally, Howard Goldberg gave a
status quo report of the WBF’s
sporting situation to all
delegates, before General
Secretary Diana Spasova
announced the upcoming day’s
programs and seminars. After
dinner, there was the
possibility of a guided tour at
the Saarbruecker Zeitung’s
publishing house, although many
delegates preferred after a
stressed first convention day to
skip that in favour of their
cosy hotel beds.
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To learn more about the World
Boxing Federation World
Convention, and the big WBF
Champions Boxing Night on
September 7, please visit
the
convention site. |
