Cameroon’s Bertrand Mendouga has been elected to serve a four-year term as President of the African Boxing Confederation (AFBC) after a vote was held at its Congress in Algiers to choose a successor to Mohamed Moustahsane.
Mendouga, who has experienced a long professional career in public finance, defeated Algeria’s Ferhat Abdelnour-Fazil and Uganda’s Moses Muhangi in the Algerian capital at an election attended by the International Boxing Association (IBA) President Umar Kremlev.
Ethopia’s Eyassu Wossen Berhaun withdrew before the election.
Mendouga polled 21 of the 40 votes, with Abdelnour-Fazil getting 10 and Muhagni nine.
“It’s a new day for Africa,” Mendouga said.
“I will not be the President of the 21 countries that voted for me, but the President for all the countries of Africa.”
In his manifesto, Mendouga had promised “to create visibility and influence” and “make substantial reforms for the development of boxing in Africa.”
Mendouga has held the position of President of the Cameroon Boxing Federation for 17 of the past 22 years with a key achievement being that a quarter of Cameroon’s team at last year’s re-arranged Olympic Games in Tokyo was comprised of boxers.
A new Board of Directors was also selected to fulfil four-year terms with Zoubida Wissam defeating Moroccan compatriot Nabil Hilmi in the only election.
Both candidates could not be elected to the Board due to the AFBC Constitution allowing only one member from each National Federation to serve on the body.
Botswana’s Irene Ntelamo, Burundi’s Eric Ndayishimiye, Guinea’s Alpha Amadou Balde, Nigeria’s Issoufou Abdou Mallam, Niger’s Azamia Omo-Agege of Niger, South Africa’s Siyabulela Cecil Nkwalo, Senegal’s Anta Gueye, and Tanzania’s Lukelo Anderson Willilo complete the rest of the Board.
The first order of business for the Board is to organise this year’s AFBC African Championships, which is due to be held in August and September but for which a host is yet to be announced.
–insidethegames.biz
