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

AFN COO, Dr Nneka Calls For Increased Investment In Grassroots Athletics, Sports Facilities

Published

6 hours ago

November 14, 2026

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Operating Officer, COO, Dr Nneka Ikem Anibeze has called on state governments and universities across the country to invest in athletics facilities and grassroots competitions to discover and nurture emerging talents.

Anibeze, who expressed delight at Nigeria’s achievement at the just concluded Youth Olympics where Nigeria won 3 Gold medal in athletic in Dakar, Senegal, said sustained investment in infrastructure, coaching and regular competitions would help the country build a strong pool of homegrown athletes capable of representing Nigeria successfully at international competitions.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Youth Olympic Games, she described Nigeria’s performance as encouraging and unprecedented, expressing satisfaction with the progress being recorded by young athletes.

The Senior Assistant Media & Publicity to the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy Anibeze particularly commended the National Sports Commission (NSC) for creating opportunities for athletes to participate in international competitions, noting that exposure to major championships was essential for their development.

According to her, taking athletes to competitions, including the youth championships in Oregon, has helped expose young talents to international standards and provided valuable experience for those travelling outside Nigeria for the first time.

Anibeze noted that although some athletes were still developing, their performances demonstrated the benefits of regular international exposure and the need to sustain the momentum.

She said: “I feel very happy that this is happening in our time. It is unprecedented, and I am particularly delighted that we are beginning to see the results of these efforts.

“We must also appreciate the National Sports Commission for making it possible for our athletes to be exposed and given more competitions to participate in.”

The AFN COO stressed the need for Nigeria to look beyond athletes based abroad and deliberately develop the enormous athletic potential within the country.

She maintained that Nigeria had abundant homegrown talents who could compete at the highest level if provided with the right opportunities, facilities and support systems.

Anibeze explained that the federation was working towards securing sponsorship for more competitions, including all-comers meets, grassroots championships and school sports programmes.

Also She stated that plans were underway to organise more intermediate and grassroots competitions in Lagos and other parts of the country, particularly next year, to expand the talent discovery network.

According to her, such competitions would provide opportunities for young athletes to demonstrate their abilities and progress through the national athletics development structure.

She identified inadequate sporting facilities as one of the major challenges confronting athletics development in Nigeria, urging state governors to construct standard running tracks and mini-stadia in their respective states.

“If we have more tracks in our communities, people will not have to wait until they come to Abuja before they can train and compete.

“You can imagine that the girl who just performed was fine-tuned within two or three weeks. If she had access to better facilities and a good coach, the sky would be her limit,” she said.

Anibeze also urged universities to prioritise sports infrastructure, citing the University of Oregon in the United States as an example of how educational institutions could contribute to the development of world-class athletes.

She said Nigerian universities could build athletics tracks to support students with sporting potential, adding that stronger university sports programmes would also improve the country’s representation at the World University Games.

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