Felipe Martínez, the new President of the Spanish Boxing Federation

A conversation with the new President of the Spanish Boxing Federation

At meeting of 18 December 2016, the General Assembly of the Spanish Boxing Federation (F.E.B.) elected, as President, Felipe Martínez.
In total, he received 28 votes, while the outgoing president Antonio Martín Galán has got 21. One blank ballot.

His biography

Form left: Wiliam Louis Marie AIBA Acting Executive Director, Felipe Martinez President FEB,
Javier Pardo Amaral Responsible for programs and international relations FEB, Alicia Sendra WSB Competition Coordinator AIBA

Felipe Martínez has a degree in Criminology at the University of Alicante and works in the local police.
During his sporting career, he has received numerous results in amateur boxing. He began practicing boxing at 14 years in Club de Boxeo de Elda. He made his debut at 17 years and was part of the Spanish National boxing.
His greatest achievement was the international bronze medal at the European Union Championships 2003, in Strasbourg (France). After finishing the Olympic cycle, he decided to leave the national team and, at 29 years, he continued as a coach.
During this period concentrated on the basic job getting regional champions and winners of medals in national championships, introducing some young boxers in Youth and Junior Team of F.E.B. .
In 2011 he was elected President of the Boxing Federation of the Region of Murcia, a position which he held over the past few years. Until 2016 he was coordinator of the National Plan Tecnificación Sports and the chief of the youth sector of the national team.

Where and when were you born?
I was born on December 1, 1977 in Elda (Alicante).

Why did you decide to run for President of the Spanish Boxing Federation and not continue with the technical tasks?
The Federation was falling into a dire economic situation due to mismanagement, where the loss faith in its Government made me react to this situation, otherwise today the Federation would be handled by the Government, and perhaps the situation would become irreversible.
Truly, I regret not continuing with the technical tasks, and after pondering carefully, I felt that the most important thing is the good of the Spanish boxing. I hope not to disappoint those who believed in me when in leanding me to this change and then I hope I won’t disappoint my effort, work and enthusiasm to achieve that goal. 

What are your aims for the next four years in Spanish Boxing Federation?
My main task is to restore the revenue accounts of the Spanish Federation, satisfying the guidelines dictated by the Superior Council of Sports (Spanish Government), and return to have their confidence, without sacrificing the sport.
In addition:
– the restructuring and modernization of the Federation, with the creation of new departments and changing the operation of other ones, adapting them to new technologies. All this to get to consolidate, develop or implement new programs which previously we have not been able to reach.
– increase training programs in the country, offering quality courses at different levels, which will affect the growth and promotion of our sport, with the officials (referees / judges) and increasingly skilled technicians.
– programmes to promote our sport in the lower categories, trying to start before the boxing activities and increasing the practice of women’s boxing.
– the consolidation and the realization of new national anche international tournaments, in promoting research in our sport as well as the promotion of the recovery of our athletes in all categories.
To do this it’s necessary to create a solid structure, introducing qualified personnel, increasing the net income and to do this we must boost the marketing of the Spanish Federation Boxing could sell our product (the Spanish National Boxing team) and our programs and, therefore, attract sponsors, and find ways to involve the Autonomous Federations so as to reach consensus towards the same direction.
At the institutional level, our interest is to introduce the representatives in the committees of International Organizations, working for the interests of our country in order to obtain cooperation agreements with municipalities or autonomous regions.
On sporting level, the goal is to exceed the number of rancked athletes in Rio 2016 for upcoming Tokyo 2020, so we must be able to provide security for our national and maintain motivation, providing an excellent physical and technique/tactic training, even with assistance to allow maximum concentration in international competitions or during sports camps.

From left: Jose María De La Cierva, President Felipe Martinez

In featured image – From left: King of Spain, Felipe VI and President FEB Felipe Martinez