Samoa Boxing Federation (S.B.F.) President, Papalii Pasi Poloa, has been selected to attend the 2018 International Boxing Association Congress election in Moscow, Russia next month. 

There are three representatives from Oceania attending the election and they are Papalii from Samoa, Edgar Tanner from Australia, and Gay Uera from Nauru.    

Papalii said it is an honour for him to represent Samoa at such a significant decision making event in a worldwide view.    

“It will be a two days election process, which will elect a new founding president for A.I.B.A. along with the vice-president and executive committee member.”

“In my opinion, it was through our country hosting the 2018 Oceania Confederation Youth Continental Boxing Championships earlier this year, which the vice president of A.I.B.A. and president of the Oceania Confederation Boxing Championships, Ted Tanner attended that may have contributed to their decision.”

“I think maybe they were impressed with how we organised and hosted that event that led to our country’s recognition,” he said.

A.I.B.A. is a non-profit international organisation that succeeded the former Fédération Internationale de Boxe Amateur in 1946. It is the sole worldwide governing body for the sport of boxing in all its forms, with 201 member federations. 

It also works on behalf of all levels of boxing, men and women, to revive the sport’s grass roots, develop youth and elite boxing, and create new opportunities for semi-pro and pro-boxers. 

The current A.I.B.A. Interim President is Gafur Rahimov, a former boxer and coach who has been involved in A.I.B.A. since 1995, when he became chairman of the A.I.B.A. Business Commission.