FEATURE: Vision 2030 for African boxing – financial independence

The Africa Boxing Confederation (AFBC) and its affiliates should strive to be financially independent by 2030 if they’re seriously committed to improve the standards of boxing in the continent.

While their respective governments will, as usual, finance the national federations in major competitions such as the Olympic Games, African Games, Commonwealth Games and World Championships, NFs should also be funding their teams to participate in big tournaments in Europe and elsewhere.

AFBC will have to lead by example.

First and foremost let’s see AFBC bringing on board sponsors who can fund various prize-money competitions to be transmitted live in their YouTube Channel as well as funding their technical programs. With their own finances, the AFBC can supplement what the federations have but not relying on IBA for funding.

To have a strong financial base, the African federations must get out of their comfort zones and be more enterprising to manage boxing professionally.

They should have fully fledged secretariats and a few qualified full-time staff working for the federations. Eventually they’ll need to buy land to build their offices including a modern gym for the national team’s training and a hall to host international tournaments.

To achieve all this, the federations must be financially stable with regular sponsors who can only come on board if there’s credibility and transparency in the people managing the federations. Not riffraffs.

For many years now, the African national boxing federations have been dependent on their governments for funding. This is a lazy and slavery mindset. Let them strive to be financially independent by 2030. In addition to sponsors, the federations should come up with their own income-generating projects.

To bring on board sponsors, they will have to engage professional marketers and advertising agencies well connected to big corporate organisations. The marketing committees they form within their organisations are just a big joke. The people in charge of such committees are not professional marketers and therefore unsuitable for such an engagement. Let their finances be managed by a qualified accountant and not their so-called treasurers who don’t even know how to write a convincing and persuasive proposal for funding.

Once financially stable, they will be able to constantly expose their boxers in international tournaments abroad as well as organising lucrative money-spinning competitions at home to empower their boxers financially.
The professional boxing wing of the federations will assist in staging regular pro fights including championship bouts and invite boxers from within Africa.

With a healthy bank account, the federations will be able to engage foreign coaches to assist them in running a thorough junior and youth program.

Without a sound junior and youth boxing program – not the imaginary ones some of them are running now – the federations will be operating like a huge building constructed on sand. A superstructure can only last long on a firm foundation.

Finally my humble appeal to AFBC and national federations: Stop yapping now and get down to serious business. Charity begins at home.

Credit: Nenez Media Services