In response to suggestions that he was in Nigeria to advocate for transgender boxing, Boris Vandervorst, the president of the World Boxing Federation, clarified that his visit focused on the future of boxing in both Nigeria and Africa, as well as its international development.
At a press conference in Abuja, concluding his three-day official visit to Nigeria, President Vandervorst stated categorically that there is no transgender category in Olympic boxing, labelling the claims about his mission as misinformation.
“There is a lot of fake and misinformation circulating. Unfortunately, transgender boxing does not exist in Olympic boxing. This misunderstanding stems from misinformation. It is crucial to establish safe policies and medical guidelines to address issues related to gender variation, age, and other factors. We aim to create a gender-friendly environment, but I can assure you that there is no transgender participation in world boxing or Olympic boxing,” Vandervorst emphasised.
He noted that Nigeria was the first African Boxing Federation to join World Boxing, expressing pride in the federation’s courageous decision to safeguard the Olympic aspirations of Nigerian boxers and the sport’s future.
“Nigeria was the first brave African Boxing Federation to join World Boxing, expressing pride in the federation’s courageous decision to safeguard the Olympic aspirations of Nigerian boxers and the sport’s future.
“Nigeria was the first brave African Boxing Federation to join World Boxing, and I remain proud to have met Mr Femi and Adura during the Olympic qualifiers in Senegal.
They played a vital role in preserving the Olympic dreams of our boxers and ensuring the sport’s future. For this reason, I am here to discuss how we can enhance boxing and Olympic boxing in a manner that benefits both the Nigeria Boxing Federation and World Boxing.
“I’m not only engaging with the Nigeria Boxing Federation but also with other African Boxing Federation presidents from Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. I am delighted that they have all come to Nigeria to discuss the future of our sport and its international development.”
Vandervorst further asserted that the future of World Boxing is promising. “I am very confident about the future of our sport. Over the past two and a half years, we have worked diligently to establish a solid foundation for World Boxing. We have elected presidents, formed committees and commissions, and organised multiple international competitions. Recently, we received an official roadmap towards becoming an international Olympic Federation, achieving 76 criteria as an international federation, which places us in a strong position for Olympic recognition.”
Meanwhile, chairman of the reception committee, Coach Adura said the visit of the World Boxing Federation president will positively impact the Nigeria Boxing Federation and the boxing community in Africa.
‘I am particularly elated by the visit of the World Boxing President and his innovative ideas that will impact boxing in Nigeria. We are hoping this opportunity afforded to us will help us get back to our prime position that got us global recognition,” he said.
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