…Says there is no transgender in boxing
By Joel Ajayi
The President of the World Boxing Federation (WBF), Boris Van Der Vorst, who was in Nigeria for a two-day visit, has pledged his commitment to the growth and development of boxing in the country and across the African continent.
Speaking at the ANOCA Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, the WBF President expressed the Federation’s desire to build a sustainable future for the sport of boxing.
According to Van Der Vorst, the purpose of his visit to Nigeria was to discuss ways of developing Olympic boxing in a manner that will benefit both the Nigerian Boxing Federation and the World Boxing Federation.
“I came to Nigeria to discuss how we can advance the sport of boxing, particularly Olympic boxing, in a way that will benefit the Nigerian Federation as well as World Boxing,” he said.
Van Der Vorst also mentioned that his discussions extended to other African boxing leaders, including Mr. Bernard from Ghana, Mr. Solomon from Sierra Leone, and Mr. Alfred from Liberia. He expressed his satisfaction with the collective efforts to improve the sport’s future on the continent.
“I am very pleased that all of them came to Nigeria to discuss the future of our sport and its international developments. I am confident about the future of our sport,” he added.
Reflecting on the progress made by World Boxing in the last two and a half years, Van Der Vorst highlighted the foundational work done within the organization. This includes the election of board members, presidents, and committees, as well as the fulfillment of 70 out of 75 requirements to become an official Olympic international federation.
“World Boxing now has the roadmap to become an Olympic international federation. We are proud to have reached the 75th milestone with national federations,” he said. “Our primary goal at World Boxing is to preserve the Olympic dreams of our boxers, in every gym, everywhere in the world.”
Van Der Vorst also acknowledged Nigeria’s pioneering role in joining World Boxing, noting that the Nigerian Federation was one of the first African national federations to commit to saving the Olympic dreams of its boxers.
“Nigeria was the first brave African national federation to join World Boxing, and their efforts to preserve the Olympic dreams of their boxers are highly commendable,” he said. “For that reason, I am here to pay respect to Nigeria.”
Addressing the issue of transgender athletes in boxing, Van Der Vorst clarified that there is no transgender boxing in Olympic competitions, describing the issue as a misconception.
“There is no transgender boxing in Olympic boxing. This is a misunderstanding. We are working to ensure there is a safe policy in place, covering medical procedures, gender variation, age, and equipment, such as gloves. Our policy on gender variation is ready, and we will be publishing it soon. There are no transgender athletes in Olympic boxing, not even in female boxing,” he emphasized.
Van Der Vorst concluded his visit by reaffirming his support for the Nigerian Boxing Federation, pledging to provide the necessary resources to help it grow. He expressed his appreciation for the Nigerian Federation’s decision to join World Boxing, recognizing it as a responsible and significant step toward preserving the Olympic aspirations of Nigerian boxers.
Finally, Van Der Vorst highlighted the importance of developing boxing across the African continent and stressed that Nigeria could play a leadership role in organizing international training camps, coaching courses, and competitions
