Having ended 2016 in a spirit of unity, Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, President of the World Boxing Association (WBA) travelled to Taiwan and was well welcomed by Dr Ching-Kuo Wu, AIBA President, to hold a second meeting to discuss the areas in which they can unify the boxing family at large. Mr Mendoza cited a family motto, ‘We can do it, let’s do it, let’s do it together’, as the organisations looked to ways of sharing their expertise for the good of the sport.
“I am delighted that the discussions between WBA and AIBA continue to reveal common goals that will help us to keep pushing boxing forward together for the benefit of everyone with a love for this sport. By opening up Olympic qualification to professional organisations ahead of Rio 2016, AIBA took an interesting step towards bringing greater unity to the world of boxing and I have no doubt that together we can continue to create lasting programmes that will positively shape the sport we both represent. We have the experience in the professional field and we have a program for the development of boxers, the KO Drugs, born in 1989, and in which champions as Gennady Golovkin, Marcos René Maidana and Jezreel Corrales have been formed, to name the most recent ones In addition, we can reinforce our “Fair Boxing” program, that is being carried out by our Medical Advisory Committee and supported by the VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Association), next to AIBA” said WBA President Mr Gilberto Jesus Mendoza.
“This was an important moment for two organisations with shared principles and goals on many subjects. As boxing’s only IOC-recognised body, AIBA has well-established education programmes and research across twelve commissions of experts to share with the boxing world. Equally, as we continue to expand our own professional competitions, with Season VII of WSB having recently begun, we can work with WBA to explore new markets and bring even more benefits to our athletes, the fans and the boxing family as a whole,” said AIBA President Dr Ching-Kuo Wu following the meeting.
Undoubtedly, the WBA and AIBA will have a great exchange that strengthens boxing and creates new opportunities for the true protagonists of this sport: the athletes.
