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
