By EMMA JEMEGAH
In what would be a historic event, the management of Yocateco Boxing Promotions will from February 6, in Lagos, host a groundbreaking qualifier for the first-ever World Boxing Council (WBC) amateur boxing World Cup.
The three-day event, sanctioned by the African Boxing Union (ABU), is scheduled for the Sir Molade Okoya Thomas Indoor Sports Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium with boxers from eight African countries-Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Togo, Benin Republic, Senegal, Cameroon and host, Nigeria battling for tickets for the WBC Amateur Boxing World Cup holding later in the year in Mexico.
President of Yucateco Promotions, who also doubles as the President of Boxing Promoters Association of Nigeria, Yakubu Imadu stressed that the maiden WBC championship in Africa said it’s part of Yucateco to expose African boxers beyond borderlines.
“It’s a landmark opportunity for the boxers to ensure they participate at the world stage at the World Cup in Mexico,” adding “it’s to change the narrative of boxing in Nigeria and the continent.”
Sale Fawaz, a board member of Yucateco, said the WBC/ABU Amateur Boxing Tournament is a prestigious event where all the boxers will have the privilege of being rated by the WBC.
“It will give credibility to the boxers when they eventually turn professional and a beginning of tomorrow for boxers in Nigeria and Africa,” Fawaz said.
On the aim of Yucateco, Imadu said the mission is to reposition boxing in the continent and to discover talents in communities across Nigeria, hence the Yucateco Boxing League where 12 accredited boxing clubs participated in 2023 for 32 weeks with over 500 bouts completed across all weight categories.
“As at today, a total of 484 bouts have been completed in Season 2 of the Yucateco Boxing League which is expected to end in February,” he added.