Letter from Moshi the land of Kilimanjaro and Mkomazi Sept. 08, 2019.
This year’s “Nyerere Golden Award 2019” for organizations category has been conferred to the renowned boxing and community development organization namely the “International Boxing Federation Africa (IBF/Africa)”.
Although we were informed about the nomination two months ago, we kept praying that we emerged on top. While our prayers have been answered, we take great pride and honor to thank each and everybody who helped and enabled us to render our services to sport tourism through boxing as a professional sport to communities across Africa, Middle East & Persian Gulf.
Our journey to the present position has not been either easy or smooth as we took every step and challenge as part of our work. We have managed and achieved much in a number of fronts over these past 20 years since our inception in 1999.
Our great accomplishments is the fact that we aimed and assisted younger generations to come to terms with the reality of global challenges facing them in the 21st century. Although our main role is to sanction and supervise boxing as professional sport, we have managed to identify and work on other activities outside the ring that contributed towards socio-economic development and also developed both skills and careers.
We have also been working with various nations in Africa to mediate peace and tranquility at the horn of Africa and most particularly our involvement in South Sudan where we joined the network of NGOs to advocate peace and tranquility for the Africa’s youngest nation.
Under the auspices of the Chairperson of Nkosizana Dlamini-Zuma of the African Union (AU) the body that coordinated and supervised political union of the 54+ independent African countries with head quarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, I was appointed to participate in the advocacy campaign to unite the warring factions of South Sudan. As a result, peace has now been restored in South Sudan after an accord that was signed by the two major warring factions last year.
We also mediated through sports the brewing conflict between Ethiopia and Egypt caused by Ethiopia’s massive investment to energy that was regarded as a divation of Egyptian’s lifeline of River Nile. The IBF/Africa’s mediation efforts bringing together the two countries saw their differences narrowing.
Other great achievements for our communities development is the Sports Tourism initiate in Tanzania as we have managed to sensitize and contributed towards development of domestic tourism by encouraging youths and mostly those in schools to take part and visit the national tourist attractions.
While these efforts are ongoing but, our collaborations with the Tanzania Tourists Board (TTB), Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), Arusha International Conference Center (AICC) and many other tourism stakeholders have been profoundly successful.
Our “IBF/Africa Mount Kilimanjaro Climb Expedition” has been very successful as it has encouraged many youths in secondary schools and colleges to take part each year. This year, the Climb will merged with Tonya Muro Global Leadership Scholars Program whereas IBF/Africa Mt. Climbing Expedition will take place at Moshi from December 27th 2019.
Supporting Miss Tanzania 2012 Brigitte Alfred Foundation at its ongoing advocacy campaign against Albinos atrocities in Tanzania has also been our greatest achievements. For centuries Albinos have been killed, mutilated and maimed by severing their limbs for witchcrafts charms and other beliefs.
We take pride in saying that our involvement in the same has been great success as we have managed to informed millions of people around the world of Albinos plights in Tanzania and Africa in general.
As a results of our worldwide campaign, the Global Medical Relief Fund in the USA, took a keen interest to our campaign and took a number of Albinos kids to the USA for treatments.
Doctors at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Philadelphia created new artificial limbs for Albinois youngsters. The hospital also provided housing about two hours away in the borough of Staten Island and organized all their daily, medical and travel needs.
All these achievements could not have happened if it was not for the great campaign supporting Brigitte Alfred Foundation and Tanzania Albino Society (TAS).
IBF/Africa has also invested a lot to the youth development and it has provided scholarships to several boxers to study driving at Vocational Educational and Training Authority (VETA) so that they may have other skills other than the sport of boxing.
The scholarship expanded to English Language and contractual training to boxers so that they may understand contracts they sign as it has been great problems to them. The training also involved basic entrepreneurial training that have helped some boxers to manage and invest their purse money wisely.
In Tanzania, we are working with the Tanzania Vocational Education and Training Association (TAVETA) and discussion with both Africa Vocational Education and Training Association (AVETA)the International Vocational Education and Training Association (IVETA) to initiate similar training in other countries in Africa, Middle East & Persian Gulf.
We have also concluded a two year pilot program christened the “IBF/Africa ICT Incubation Program” that trained 10 form four graduates from underprivileged communities who failed in their national exams. The youth, 5 males and 5 females graduated successfully and are NOW part of the collaboration between Moshi based Kilimanjaro Information Technology College (KITC) and the New York City, USA based the World Computers Exchange (WCE) to lend them 200 computers for their innovative program.
We are also keen to develop female boxing skills as this area seem to be very difficult because of the negative perceptions in the society. People thinks when a woman build muscles would not be willing and submissive wife so it deter girls from joining boxing. We are planning to work with women organizations especially the Brigitte Alfred Foundation to reach out to girls in different classes and train them to join the sport of boxing.
On the boxing side, we take pride for being the most visible and efficient boxing organization that takes pride as well as commitment on anything that we resolve to do. We adheres to rules and regulations and do not succumb to the influence of boxing stakeholders in discharging our duties.
We have initiated a “Progression Pathway” that take boxers from regional and continental level to International, Intercontinental and world rankings where they work their way up to the titles. We have excellent examples for our work and most visible ones are: Azinga Fuzile of South Africa who is scheduled to fight for the World Elimination Jr. Lightweight fight September 29, 2019 in East London.
Also, Richard Commey of Ghana who upon becoming the IBF Continental Africa champion went on to win the Commonwealth title, IBF Intercontinental Title and the IBF World Lightweight title. Commey have already defended his world title once. Many boxers in Africa, Middle East and Persian Gulf are ranked at both IBF Intercontinental ranking as well as the top 15 in the world.
Freddy Lawson also from Ghana won the IBF Continental Africa Welterweight title and became the official Manny Pacquiao’s sparring partner and move to the USA. Freddy is was rated at the top 15 in the IBF World ranking.
We have sanctioned, supervised and elevated the status of many boxers from Zambia, Botswana, Malawi, Tanzania, Namibia, Angola, DRC Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Morocco, South Africa, Togo, Kenya, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Uganda, Qatar and many other counties in Africa, Middle East & Persian Gulf.
We have also recommended our three Africa promoters to be awarded the “Most Active Promoter” in Africa, Middle East and Persian Gulf and these are:
Capital Promoters Ltd of Tanzania owned and managed by Gabriel Nderumaki (2001), Kalakoda Boxing Promotions of South Africa owned and managed by Steve Kalakoda (2002), Sunshine Boxing Academy of Namibia owned and managed by Nestor Tobias (2014), Golden Concept Boxing Promotion of Ghana owned and managed by Henry Mainly Spain (2016).
Others are Xaba Boxing Promotions of South Africa owned and managed by Ayanda Matiti (2017) and Rumble Africa Boxing Promotion of South Africa owned and managed by the ANC’s deep pockets stalwatz Terris Ntutu a.k.a Muttu (2018) respectively.
We have also recommended several boxers for the Boxer of the year award for Africa, Middle East and Persian Gulf and they are; Magoma Shaban, Flyweight, Tanzania (1999), Evans Chisanga Featherweight Zambia (2000), Joseph Kimonge Marwa Middleweight, Tanzania (2003), Francis Cheka Jr. Middle Weight, Tanzania (2012), Gottlieb Ndokosho Jr. Lightweight, Namibia (2013/4).
Others are Richard Commey Lightweight, Ghana (2015/16) and Azinga Fuzile Jr. Lightweight, South Africa (2018).
We want to thank mostly, the Tanzania’s government through it’s ministry of Sports and the people of Tanzania for hosting us since 1999. Very special thanks to both former President H.E. Benjamin William Mkapa and former Minister for the International Co-operation later President of the United Republic of Tanzania H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwette for been instrumental in bringing and establishing the IBF/Africa in Africa from Tanzania’s soil.
We heartly thank the IBF Board of Directors under President of the IBF Mr. Daryl Peoples for his unwavering supports throughout these years since he was the Ratings Chairman, Mr. Lindsey Tucker and Mr. Carlos Ortiz Jr past and present Chairmen of the IBF Championship Committee for their endless efforts to give African boxers opportunity to fight for titles, Mr. Anibal Miramontes the Chairman of the IBF Ratings Committee for ranking African boxers.
Also in our gratitude are Ms. Jeanette Salazar the PRO Director of IBF, Ms. Tracy Lundy the Bookkeeper of IBF, Ms. Ruth Jimenez, the Executive Assistant to the President of IBF for their great support to IBF/Africa throughout these years.
My heartfelt gratitude should go to my immediate assistants Mr. Simon Andjamba of Namibia the IBF/Africa Vice President (Finance), Mr. Mehrak Dashab of Dubai the IBF/Africa Vice President (Marketing), Mr. Moe Valentino of Tanzania the IBF/Africa Vice President (Administration), Mr. Boniface Wambura the IBF/Africa Supervisor, Ms. Jane Kiwara the IBF/Africa Legal Adviser, Ms. Irene Joseph my Administrative Secretary.
Also, my heartfelt gratitude should go to all promoters who have promoted IBF/Africa titles, sponsors, trainers, managers, matchmakers, boxing agents, local sanction bodies, journalists, media houses, and above all the BOXERS for ALL our titles.
I want to give special thanks to our IBF Continental Africa and IBF Africa, Middle East & Persian Gulf (IBF AM&PG) Champions and ALL the contenders.
Our work has just begun and yet we have a long way to go to accomplish our ultimate target to create many Champions from Africa, Middle East & Persian Gulf and be able to earn sustainable incomes.
We beseech you to continue to support us for the betterment of sports tourism through the sport of boxing in Africa, Middle East & Persian Gulf.
They call it Africa! We call it Home!
IBF/Africa Fighting for Africa, Middle East & Persian Gulf!
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