Ethiopian tycoon Berhane elected African boxing head
Ethiopian Billionaire Eyassu Wosen Berhane is the new Africa Boxing Confederation (AFBC) president.
Berhane won the elections that were held in Addis Ababa Ethiopia after two of his opponents failed to turn over hence winning with a walkover.
He was to compete with the former immediate president of Cameroon Bertrand Mendouga and El Kabbouri Mohamed of Morocco.
Two candidates, Nigeria’s interim president Azania Omo Agege and Ugandan Boxing Federation president Moses Muhangi had also earlier withdrawn in favor of Berhane.
In his remarks after taking over, Berhane said teamwork within the federation is what will make it prosper.
He promised to issue a comprehensive statement in the course of the week as he hits the ground working because he knows the problems faced by the organization, including bankruptcy.
“My aim is to turn AFBC into a multi-million-dollar organization, I will bring in more money and not take it away.” He said.
He inherited a divided organization as there was a heated exchange between the board directors as some members wanted it dissolved
Berhane, who is the Ethiopian Boxing Federation President, has taken over from Mendouga who was unceremoniously removed by the Board of Directors in August in Yaoundé during the Africa Championships.
Among the reasons cited by the board for Mendouga’s ouster through a vote of no-confidence was his high-handedness, mismanagement, and alleged financial impropriety.
Mendouga was accused of spending last year’s Africa Championships (Maputo) prize money which was due to boxers from Algeria, Mozambique, and Zambia without their approval.
The former president acknowledged he spent the money for the launch of AFBC headquarters in Yaoundé early this year, hoping to reimburse it from a grant of $500,000 that had been pledged by the International Boxing Association President Umar Kremlev.
Berhane is expected to deal with this alongside pending prize money for winners of the African Championship.
