By Mauricio SulaimánPresident of the WBC – Son of José Sulaimán
I open my eyes and soar off the bed with nervousness and anguish, a couple of seconds go … and realized that it’s already Sunday, the conference is over. All is claimed and finished. The overwhelming majority of our folks have already returned house. There aren’t any calls, messages, emergencies to resolve, on-the-spot selections to make. So, now it’s time to rework all the things and make recent historical past.
What an unbelievable conference! The world of boxing met in Hamburg, Germany, the center of Europe, and for 10 days all of us labored intensely and immensely on a large number of matters to create the 2025 plan of motion.
It’s very troublesome to outline what was most essential, as a result of all the things was. Beneath I’ll attempt to share a few of these moments that made an influence on everybody:
His Excellency Turki Alalshikh was current to obtain his award as Man of The Yr, an honor conferred on a really choose group of excellent folks: Nelson Mandela, Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, Carlos Slim, and Holy Father Francis.
HE Turki warmly thanked for the excellence and honor, as his involvement in boxing has drastically modified the boxing business in solely 14 months since Riyadh Season coming into our sports activities panorama. He knowledgeable of his speedy plans whereas asserting the second stage of his passionate participation in boxing. The Riyadh Season WBC Boxing Grand Prix, a world match in 4 weight classes completely for younger expertise on the lookout for alternatives to shine brightly sooner or later. Will probably be held within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia all thorough 2025 with 128 boxers from all over the world.
The nice peace motion that passed off on the Opening Gala Dinner shall be remembered ceaselessly. Roger Waters of Pink Floyd despatched a video remembering how 35 years in the past he organized a live performance to have a good time the autumn of the Berlin Wall. Legendary efficiency of his album “The Wall” started with Scorpions and their singer, Klaus Meine, taking part in the primary music in entrance practically 400 thousand followers. Waters expressed his remorse and deep concern to see a world that continues to construct partitions, and referred to as for the world to comply with the WBC instance of unity and peace. Subsequent, we noticed a video with the horrors of the invasion in Ukraine, adopted by a heartfelt speech by champion Wladimir Klitschko.
At the start of the invasion, Scorpions modified the lyrics of their peace music initially written for Russia and modified it for Ukraine, and we watched the Wind of Change video. Klaus Meine then appeared on stage to obtain The Peace Belt, a phenomenal commemorative belt with the “World Portray” artwork, and as he took the microphone and briefly sang the music, exquisitely, emotionally, and magnificently, pitch excellent with none accompaniment, however joined by the 900 visitors current on the gala.
It was introduced that from 2026, nobody will be capable of struggle for the WBC title if they don’t have a retirement financial savings plan. Throughout 2025, the committee headed by Billy Dib will present monetary schooling and licensed merchandise shall be solidified. We have now already made nice progress with GBM banking establishment with operations within the USA, and we’re enthused to see that every one Ring Telmex Telcel workforce fighters are already protected by INBURSA fund. Japan already has stated plan for all boxers. We can not proceed to show our backs on the unacceptable, unpalatable, and unconscionable bleak financial starkness that the overwhelming majority of athletes undergo within the twilight of their lives, barely current in precarious situations.
We had the presence of nice figures from the previous, current and future: Lennox Lewis, Michael Moorer, Terence Crawford, Junto Nakatani, Miguel Cotto, Amir Khan, Vinny Paz, Conor Benn, Shawn Porter, the trinity of Z’s, particularly Carlos Zarate, Alfonso Zamora ana Daniel Zaragoza, Chiquita Gonzalez, O`Shaquie Foster, Lawrence Okolie, Jacob Fragomeni, John H. Stracey, Arthur Abraham, Sebastian Fundora, Melvin Jerusalem, Dalton Smith, Brian Mitchell, Axel Schultz, Adonis Stevenson, Henry Maske, Javier Castillejos, Badou Jack, and so many extra
For the primary time, all the things associated to ladies’s boxing was formally built-in and it was a joint Conference: Skye Nicholson, Gabriela Fundora, Barbie Juarez, Mia St. John, Caroline Dubois, Chantelle Cameron, Asley Gonzalez, Yokasta Valle, Jelena Mrdjenovich, Umi Ishikawa, Tina Rupprecht, Jane Sofa, Dina Thorslund, and but extra.
World Boxing President Boris Van der Vorst acquired full and absolute help from WBC because the unique entity acknowledged by the Worldwide Olympic Committee, to have the ability to keep boxing as an Olympic sport.
The Ring Officers Committee met throughout three separate periods, led by Duane Ford, and supplied unbelievable coaching on a wide range of particular matters. 198 judges and referees had been current to be taught and share experiences to make an interactive, extremely profitable seminar.
Over the subsequent few weeks, I shall be going over the working plan for 2025 with a lot fascinating data and name to motion, as our world platform shall be able to carry out
Do you know?
International locations be a part of the WBC by the 9 continental federations, and at the moment there are 176 international locations. The WBC President has a governing board consisting of 36 people who find themselves chargeable for all the choices of the group. This yr, elections had been held and I used to be re-elected for the interval 2024-2028, and the governing board and govt committee had been re-elected unanimously.
Right this moment’s anecdote…
Conventions had been all the time an important occasions for my dad. Don José remodeled them from easy small gatherings/conferences with out a lot significance to annual conferences, the place all types of matters are mentioned, research are introduced, analysis conclusions, new concepts germinate, blossom, mingle and percolate, as proposals of all types are created to enhance boxing, make it safer, extra international, inclusive and develop its fan base viewers.
It’s that so particular time when folks from everywhere in the planet meet once more. Modest folks save up all yr to come back from all corners of the globe to be one with their Inexperienced and Gold Household.
Generally they’re in Mexico or Thailand or Uzbekistan or Germany, however it’s all the time an important week with such magnificent reminiscences and large significance. Afterwards, my dad, who was at its epicenter, took a couple of days completely alone to relaxation, replicate, and recharge his batteries, to reinvigorate his boundless vitality and unquenchable work ethic.
Now, as President I’ve pleasure to have an exquisite workforce, the WBC workers to whom all of the success of the group is owed, and with nice happiness I’ve my spouse Christiane at my aspect as a part of this nice group of our central workplace. My gratitude, love, dedication, and gratitude to everybody.
“My son, the important thing to success is listening to everybody, giving them their place, and dealing so that everybody is completely satisfied. Teamwork, belief, dedication, and a way of belonging generate unbreakable loyalty. By no means look as much as anybody and far much less down.”
The humanity and knowledge of Don José Sulaimán.
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