Sports

World Boxing President Visits Nigeria, Pledges Sustainable Future for Boxing

Published

2 years ago

February 25, 2025

…
…Says there is no transgender in boxing
By Joel Ajayi

The President of the World Boxing Federation (WBF), Boris Van Der Vorst, who was in Nigeria for a two-day visit, has pledged his commitment to the growth and development of boxing in the country and across the African continent.

Speaking at the ANOCA Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, the WBF President expressed the Federation’s desire to build a sustainable future for the sport of boxing.

According to Van Der Vorst, the purpose of his visit to Nigeria was to discuss ways of developing Olympic boxing in a manner that will benefit both the Nigerian Boxing Federation and the World Boxing Federation.

“I came to Nigeria to discuss how we can advance the sport of boxing, particularly Olympic boxing, in a way that will benefit the Nigerian Federation as well as World Boxing,” he said.

Van Der Vorst also mentioned that his discussions extended to other African boxing leaders, including Mr. Bernard from Ghana, Mr. Solomon from Sierra Leone, and Mr. Alfred from Liberia. He expressed his satisfaction with the collective efforts to improve the sport’s future on the continent.

“I am very pleased that all of them came to Nigeria to discuss the future of our sport and its international developments. I am confident about the future of our sport,” he added.

Reflecting on the progress made by World Boxing in the last two and a half years, Van Der Vorst highlighted the foundational work done within the organization. This includes the election of board members, presidents, and committees, as well as the fulfillment of 70 out of 75 requirements to become an official Olympic international federation.

“World Boxing now has the roadmap to become an Olympic international federation. We are proud to have reached the 75th milestone with national federations,” he said. “Our primary goal at World Boxing is to preserve the Olympic dreams of our boxers, in every gym, everywhere in the world.”

Van Der Vorst also acknowledged Nigeria’s pioneering role in joining World Boxing, noting that the Nigerian Federation was one of the first African national federations to commit to saving the Olympic dreams of its boxers.

“Nigeria was the first brave African national federation to join World Boxing, and their efforts to preserve the Olympic dreams of their boxers are highly commendable,” he said. “For that reason, I am here to pay respect to Nigeria.”

Addressing the issue of transgender athletes in boxing, Van Der Vorst clarified that there is no transgender boxing in Olympic competitions, describing the issue as a misconception.
“There is no transgender boxing in Olympic boxing. This is a misunderstanding. We are working to ensure there is a safe policy in place, covering medical procedures, gender variation, age, and equipment, such as gloves. Our policy on gender variation is ready, and we will be publishing it soon. There are no transgender athletes in Olympic boxing, not even in female boxing,” he emphasized.

Van Der Vorst concluded his visit by reaffirming his support for the Nigerian Boxing Federation, pledging to provide the necessary resources to help it grow.

He expressed his appreciation for the Nigerian Federation’s decision to join World Boxing, recognizing it as a responsible and significant step toward preserving the Olympic aspirations of Nigerian boxers.

“The choice made by the Nigerian Federation to join World Boxing was a very responsible and thoughtful decision. It is not just about winning Olympic medals; it’s about creating a sustainable future for the sport of boxing,” he said.

Finally, Van Der Vorst highlighted the importance of developing boxing across the African continent and stressed that Nigeria could play a leadership role in organizing international training camps, coaching courses, and competitions.

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Sports

Plateau Vipers, Benue Queens Crowned Champions at HFN North Central Division One Tourney

Published

7 hours ago

October 3, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Jibril Seidu, has said the federation will continue to intensify its grassroots talent development drive through zonal competitions across the country.

Seidu stated this on Saturday in Abuja at the finals of the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship, where Plateau Vipers defeated Suleja Shooters 29-24 to emerge champions in the men’s category.

In the women’s final, Benue Queens of Makurdi defeated City Queens of Suleja to claim the title.

The eight-day tournament featured teams from across the North Central Zone, with Plateau Vipers of Jos, Confluence Stars of Lokoja, Unity Boys of Abuja, Suleja Shooters and Nasarawa Ambassadors of Lafia competing in the men’s category.

In the women’s category, Nuela Handball Academy of Ilorin, Inikpi Babes of Idah, Benue Queens of Makurdi and City Queens of Suleja competed for honours.

At the end of the competition, four teams — two male and two female — emerged as the North Central Zone’s representatives for the national Division One league.

According to Seidu, the tournament was organised as part of the federation’s deliberate strategy to take handball development back to the regions and discover talents that might otherwise remain unnoticed.

He said the HFN board, inaugurated on October 25, 2025, resolved that grassroots development was essential to creating a sustainable pipeline of players for national and international competitions.

“All the teams you have seen here are from the North Central Zone of the country, and every state is represented with an academy or state team,” he said.

Seidu explained that the new approach marked a departure from the previous system, where talent identification was largely centred on the federation’s major league competitions.

He said taking competitions to the regions would provide young players with greater opportunities to showcase their abilities while strengthening the foundation of handball across the country.

The HFN president also linked the grassroots initiative to Nigeria’s recent achievements in international handball, stressing the need to develop younger players who can eventually replace members of the current national teams.

He noted that Nigeria had qualified for the 2027 Men’s Junior Handball World Championship in North Macedonia, describing the achievement as evidence of the potential within the country’s handball system.

“How do we replace these players with upcoming players? This is the avenue for us to get players,” he said.

Seidu added that the federation was determined to make handball more visible and accessible, describing it as one of Nigeria’s major sporting disciplines with significant potential for growth.

The North Central tournament is part of a wider zonal programme designed to decentralise handball development across Nigeria.

According to the federation, similar competitions are being organised across other zones, including the South East, North East, North West and South South, with qualifiers from each zone expected to converge at a designated venue for the next stage of the competition.

The federation also appealed for greater support from sponsors, stakeholders and state associations to sustain its grassroots development programme.

It expressed appreciation to the participating states, academies, team sponsors and other stakeholders for their support and commitment to the growth of handball in Nigeria.

The federation said the initiative would provide a platform for discovering the next generation of Nigerian handball stars while expanding the sport’s reach beyond its traditional centres.
While Speaking the elated coach of Benue Queen Godwin Tondo has promised a stronger and more tactical performance after guiding the team to victory at the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship in Abuja.
He attributed the success to the team’s long-term youth development programme, noting that the squad was built through a deliberate process of identifying and nurturing young talents.
According to him, the programme began with the selection of 92 girls from secondary schools, who were subsequently trained and developed over a four-year period.

He said the team’s success was a product of sustained hard work and commitment despite the challenges encountered during preparations for the tournament.

“I feel very pleased being a champion today. The road to this stage was very, very hard, but I am very happy that we have got the result from all the toughness of the game,” he said.

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