FIBA President Highlights to QNA Efforts to Further Spread Arab Boxing Worldwide

Doha, September 13 (QNA) - President of the International Federation of Arab Boxing (FIBA) Dr. Al Hadi Al Sudairi said Tuesday that the federation-linked championships seek to preserve the Arab boxing as a historic sport as well as spreading it on a larger scale and enhancing peace worldwide. In an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), Al Sudairi said the next FIBA general assembly will be held on the sidelines of the Arab Boxing World Championship due to be held in Dubai in Dec., adding that putting a timetable for the FIBA competitions for 2022-23 and electing new members of the federation and the European and African federations will top the agenda. Many Arab and African countries will compete in the Dubai-hosted championship, he added. Since it was established in 1990 with 68 members, the Paris-based FIBA organized more than 600 championships in Europe, Asia and Africa to educate about the spot, he noted. Founded in 1972, Arab boxing started its competitions in 1974 and the first international championship was in 1980. He added that the Arab boxing African Federation is based in Ghana. He also highlighted the Arab Maghreb Championship for Arab boxing was held in 2018 in Tunisia, and in 2019 Arab Boxing European Championship was held in Belgium. Apart from the Dubai World Championship 2022, Al Sudairi said, the FIBA will organize a tournament in Tunisia in Dec., in Cameroon in Feb. 2023, Algeria in March 2023, in Russia in April, and in Mali and Malaysia in May, and Spain, Germany and Turkey in 2023. He affirmed that the second edition of the Women's Arab Boxing World Championship will be organized given the success of the first edition held in 2015 in Dubai, UAE, with participants from 28 countries and the appearance of world heavyweight boxing champion, Danny Williams, as a guest of honor. Al Sudairi himself claimed gold in the medium weight (72 kg) in the Morocco 1989 Championship, the first edition of World Championship to be held in Arab region with participants from 16 countries, he noted. He added that he himself secured numerous trophies over his appearances in world championships after claiming gold in the 1990 and 1991editions in Casablanca and Paris respectively. In 1992, Al Sudairi won the championship that was held in the UAE after his knockout punch win over French boxer Fabrice Benichou. He also won the trophies in 1993 and 1994, both of them were held in Paris. In conclusion, Al Sudairi noted a proposal to migrate the headquarters of the federation from Paris to Russia or an Arab country, most notably Tunisia or Algeria. (QNA)