WHAT IS WBC AMATEURS?

John Dennen speaks to WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman

AMATEUR boxing is in a state of flux. The WBC, the professional boxing body that sanctions world titles, has set up their own WBC Amateurs format, that is not affiliated with AIBA, the international governing body.

The WBC was opposed to AIBA’S moves to bring professionals into Olympic boxing but WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman tells Boxing News, “We are hopeful that with this new administration, a new back to basics era of amateur boxing will be created.

“I believe the IOC [the International Olympic Committee] has to deal with AIBA. Nobody else can deal with it, it’s the IOC’S responsibility.”

AIBA’S governance and the election of new President Gafur Rakimov has provoked such a rebuke from the IOC that boxing could be expelled from the next Olympic Games. But the WBC has no intention of attempting to replace AIBA with their rival amateur programme. They see it more as a way to give back to grassroots boxing and to create events for boxers. “We’ve no hidden agenda, we’ve no pre-expectation, other than being a platform for boxers to have activity. We’ve done that in the USA, in Canada, in Spain, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Mexico, Italy. We feel proud of what we do. To think that the WBC would take on Olympic activities is simply something that we have not even thought about,” Sulaiman said.

“We have kids that are simply so happy and proud to win a WBC medal or a WBC amateur belt.

“Amateur boxing that’s where the fighters come from. You cannot be a teacher before going to primary school, elementary school and college. You need to do the whole process and that starts with amateur boxing.”