Boxing glory beckons in landmark TRNC signing
BUDDING Turkish Cypriot boxers could become household names abroad thanks to the signing of a landmark agreement on Thursday.
The TRNC Boxing Federation has been accepted as a member of the British and Irish Boxing Association (Biba) — with plans already under way to hold a major international tournament in North Cyprus, to promote the sport here.
Biba CEO and executive vice-president Gianluca Di Caro travelled to the TRNC this week to sign a protocol with Turkish Cypriot boxing chiefs, providing a new route for the best home-grown talent to pursue a professional career.
He also visited Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay yesterday — but not before dropping by the offices of Cyprus Today.
Mr Di Caro said Biba, whose headquarters are in Romford, Essex, was formed two years ago and now had more than 700 professional boxers registered, 500 of them outside the UK.
“We organise international competitions every week,” he said.
“We’ve done an event for [former unified light-welterweight world champion] Amir Khan . . . “Scott Lee McAllister [is] a former world champion and current world champion . . . Tasif Khan is another world champion . . . With us . . . boxers are able to become a household name.”
Mr Di Caro admitted he had received a complaint at the prospect of admitting the TRNC from the European representative of the World Boxing Foundation, an occasional resident in South Cyprus, but said: “Sports should not be driven by politics . . . To me pro-boxing is what matters . . . It’s a sport for everybody.”
He said Biba’s network of affiliations meant it could “get around” the isolation facing TRNC boxers, meaning “fighters can come here and vice versa”.
“The protocol has now been signed. As of Monday, the TRNC Boxing Federation will become members of the Association of Combative Sports Commissions, the European Boxing Council and the Association of Professional Boxing Commissions straight away.”
Biba TRNC vice-chairman Mehmet Paşa said he had worked on the approach to Biba with TRNC Boxing Federation and Biba TRNC head Yıltan Zabit.
“Most importantly, it gives us a . . . platform for our young fighters to move into the professional game. Not only Turkey, but the whole world will be open to them, for the first time in boxing history, as the TRNC.”
Mr Zabit said: “[This] should not be about colour; about race; or about the country you live in. It’s about sport.
“We are here to develop boxing and our door is open to anyone who wants to fight here in the TRNC.
“This is the first time Turkish Cypriots aspiring to box professionally will be able to participate in international events under their own identity and their own flag.”