(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The 2015 World Boxing Championships, which will be held in Doha from October 8 to 18, will help develop the sport in the region, AIBA Executive Director Ho Kim said yesterday.
The event is being held in the region for the very first time.
"The AIBA World Boxing Championships has never come to the Middle East. We have come here because we believe we can aggressively develop the sport of boxing in the region," Kim said in Doha yesterday.
"We will also help the local organisers to develop boxers in Qatar. I think we will be able to have significant developmental programmes in the Middle East. That's our aim," he said.
"The reason to bring this event to this region is so that we can make boxing popular," Kim explained. "Syria, Iraq, Iran and some Middle East countries are strong in boxing. They have strong boxers but we needed some country to lead the show to consolidate our efforts to develop the sport."
"We want to develop the sport - train boxers, officials and coaches in this sport. You have Aspire Academy here. The infrastructure is present here that can help develop the sport. When the boxing family comes here (in October), we will be showcase our talent and take the sport forward. We will take this step by step but this is the way to do it," Kim said.
The President of the Qatar Boxing Federation (QBF), Yusuf Ali Al Kadim, said Doha will host a test event for more than 100 boxers from May 19 to 24.
"There's going to be a test event which is a positive development. We will send our staff and then we would be able to make changes if needed. We will be able to implement our plans if needed," Kim said.
Kim and his three-member AIBA team have completed their inspection of venues and training facilities.
"We have seen two venues - The Lusail Stadium and the Hamad Al Attiyah Multi-purpose Stadium. The first venue with 15,000 seats is too big for us. We are very impressed with the second venue (Hamad Al Attiyah Stadium)," Kim said.
"We have decided to hold our event there. I feel this is the best venue of the last four AIBA World Boxing Championships. It is an outstanding venue," Kim added.
"The training facilities are great. Ideal scenario for us is to have training facilities and the fight rings under the same roof. It is ideal for us. I think the boxer coaches will be very pleased to see all this.
"We will be coming again, probably three more times so that we can get a feel of what's happening with preparations. We will be here in July and in September. We may also undertake another visit at the end of August when all the continental championships are over. We have to make sure that all will be ready for the big show," Kim said.
The top AIBA official said the event in Doha will be broadcast around the world.
"The TV broadcast of the previous world championship reached more than 150 countries. This championship will have a similar scale of coverage through TV," Kim said.
"The championship will be broadcast in over 150 countries. Since this championship will go all over the world we will be talking to your TV broadcasters," he said.
Kadhim said: "We are currently negotiating with Al Kass Sports Channel and BeIN Sports. We will reveal details when we finalize a deal."
Kim said the Doha event
will have an added charm:
the 2015 AIBA World Championships have been confirmed as an official qualification series for a berth at the Rio Olympic Games.
"The 2015 World Boxing Championships will be a qualification event for Rio Olympic Games in 2016. All boxers attending the Doha event will have to come through continental championships," Kim said.
"Previously, we would send invites to countries so that they could send in their bunch of boxers. The rules have changed from this year," he said.
"We are happy to be here for our first coordination visit. This is my second visit. I was here for the boxing competitions at the
Doha 2006 Asian Games. I have come back after nine years," Kim said.
"We are very impressed with what we have seen so far."
The official mascot for the 2015 World Boxing Championships, 'Majid', was also unveiled at a press conference here yesterday.
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