The president of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Umar Kremlev was recently in the State of Palestine to meet with President Mahmoud Abbas and, of course, talk boxing.
The main topic of focus was the development of the sport in Palestine and AIBA’s continued support of Palestinian athletes. President Abbas was quick to express his gratitude with AIBA.
“Our country was going through difficult times, the development of sports in general and boxing in particular did not proceed at the highest rates, but now we are paying great attention to this area. I hope our cooperation with AIBA will be fruitful and long term,” said Abbas.
AIBA provided financial assistance to Palestinian athletes to ensure their participation at the recent Asian Boxing Championships in the United Arab Emirates, and also the AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championship in Serbia.
The two leaders also discussed a long-term plan for boxing in Palestine which includes the development of a boxing academy, and a program to introduce the sport into the curriculum of schools and higher educational institutions.
“AIBA is committed to developing boxing in Palestine,” said Kremlev. “Palestinian boxers have shown a lot of talent, and as the international governing body for the sport, it’s our duty to ensure they have the opportunity to fulfill their potential.”
Palestine is just one of many countries where AIBA has helped grow the sport through a series of developmental programs. President Kremlev provided 500 pairs of boxing gloves and head guards to the Palestine Boxing Federation as show of continued support and commitment to growing boxing in the region.