Still numb and in shock, it is hard to believe that my friend and colleague Olaf Schroeder is no longer with us.
His sad and untimely passing has pushed us all into ensuring that his legacy will be fulfilled and all the representatives are working flat out to honor the dream we all shared in growing the World Boxing Federation (WBF) exponentially.
Fights have been happening thick and fast, with plenty scheduled for the next few weeks. Some of the countries we have recently had activity in, and some where activity is about to take place, include among others Botswana, South Africa, Netherlands, Egypt, Japan, Korea, USA, Guinea, Kenya, France, Turkey and Zambia.
Our new Executive Director Christian Roesen, who has massive shoes to fill, has settled in to his new position with great energy and has been extremely busy connecting with several promoters as well as our European representatives.
Vice President Marcel Nartz has also been working hard in maintaining the huge amount of WBF fights associated with Europe.
I am delighted that Susi Lau, Olaf’s wife, will be continuing as Executive Secretary, a job she does with great enthusiasm and professionalism.
Todd Neil joins us as one of our USA representatives, and Anthony Mwamba returns as our person in Zambia.
Death is not pleasant – it often puts perspective into our lives and we realize that each day is a blessing and that we should be thankful for what we have. Life is short and we should embrace each and every day with zest and excitement, as opposed to negativity and indifference.
Olaf Schroeder will never be forgotten. He is sorely missed by all of us and will be remembered forever.
I miss you friend!
Until next time, keep punching.
Howard Goldberg
PRESIDENT: World Boxing Federation
