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Yet again
another year passes quickly by
and no time to rest as we start
working on the 2016 year with
some exciting programs and title
fights lined up already. It was
a busy 2015 with the WBF
remaining a strong global
player, gaining further ground
with ventures into Zambia,
Trinidad, Greece, Costa Rica and
back into Korea where I had
extremely fruitful discussions
with the Korean Boxing
Association.
While we are extremely proud of
all our World Boxing Federation
champions, I must make special
note of the world class WBF
super middleweight champion from
Bogota, Colombia, Alexander
Brand who cemented his position
as one of the finest 168
pounders in the world with
exceptional performances.
South Africa finally had boxing
back on television, and several
promoters put on WBF title
fights, but again special
mention must be made of “Don
Queen” Mbali Zantsi who staged
two tournaments in the space of
four months with four WBF
titles. What a pleasure it is
for the WBF to work with such a
professional like Mbali.
I would like to take this
opportunity to wish all our
promoters, boxers, champions,
trainers, managers and in fact
all people involved with boxing
a wonderful festive season and
all the success for 2016. To the
WBF representatives around the
world operating on every
continent, we appreciate your
incredible efforts and hard work
and look forward to seeing you
at our Convention next year.
Diana Spasova, the WBF General
Secretary for whom nothing is
too much trouble, our
appreciation to you. To my WBF
Executive and Championship
Committees, a big thank you for
your sterling work. My two wise
Vice Presidents Jean Marcel
Nartz and Torben Seemann Hansen,
thank you for keeping me sane
most of the time and for the
experience and wisdom you bring
to the WBF senior executive
table.
And then, finally, to our
Executive Director Olaf
Schroeder, who tirelessly and
(most of the time) without fuss
gets all the nitty gritty done,
and done to perfection. The WBF
is truly a family, a family who
looks out for one another, and a
family whose values are based on
honesty, integrity and
transparency.
It is now the
time to lay down the tools and
spend quality time with loved
ones, who so graciously allow us
the immense time we need in
order to make the WBF not only
work, but continue to grow. To
the families of the WBF members,
the biggest thank you goes to
you.
We are about to enter the New
Year, and I am delighted to
announce the first addition to
the WBF team. We have appointed
as Chairman Jung Pyo Kim from
Korea who actually is the
President of the Korean Boxing
Association and whose portfolio
will be to run the WBF Asia
Pacific region. He has already
been hard at work and we have
our first world title in Korea
for 2016 in March, which I will
personally attend to lend him my
support at this early stage of
his new position.
Some further exciting additions
to our team will be announced
early next year, watch this
space. Again, I wish you all a
wonderful festive season and a
healthy, wealthy and successful
New Year.
Until next time, keep boxing.
Howard Goldberg
PRESIDENT: World Boxing
Federation
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