Newsletter EUBC by President Franco Falcinelli – February 2017

Monthly Newsletter by President Franco Falcinelli: February 2017

Dear Boxing Friends

January and February were two important months characterized by presidential elections of some boxing Federations.

On January 25th, the Boxing Federation of Montenegro carried out the elective assembly proclaiming as new President Mr Blazo Saranovic; on February 1st, in Russia, with unanimous decision, the Assembly decided for the position of Mr. Alexey Rubezhnoy qualifying him as Chairman of the Supreme Supervisory Board. A few days after, on February 4th, the French elective assembly reconfirmed the election of the President Mr. André Martin as head of the French boxing Federation; on February 24th during the regular Election Conference of the UBF,  Mr. Volodymyr Prodyvys has been re-elected as the President of the Ukrainian Boxing Federation; while, on February 25th, it was the turn of the national federal elections in Italy: Mr. Vittorio Lai is the new president of the Italian boxing Federation.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the highest national leaders elected at this time, wishing to their National Federations a bright future surrounded by great successes both nationally and internationally.

On February 3rd began the seventh edition of the AIBA World Series of Boxing with the participation of 4 European teams: Patriot Boxing Team (Rus), British Lionhearts (Eng), Thunder (Ita) Italy and France Fighting Roosters (Fra).

From 3rd to 6th February, Mr. Terry Smith, AIBA and EUBC Executive Committee Member, accompanied by Mr. Alexandr Egorov, EUBC Executive Director, traveled to Brăila (Romania) to carry out inspections of the city which, from 13th to 22nd March, will host the European Championships Under 22 (male). EUBC delegation met Mr. Vasile Priceputu, President of the LOC and Viorel Marian Dragomir, Mayor of the city of Brăila. They were visited hotels where reside the sports delegations and the officials.

The Danubius Sport Arena that will host the Championships is a very appropriated boxing venue.

We are proud of the international commitment that the European NF show every year in arranging EUBC Championships. This past January 23rd and February 24th, EUBC Executive Committee awarded the Ukraine’s Boxing Federation organizing European Championships Elite 2017, which will be held in Kharkiv from 14th to 25th June; Turkish Boxing Federation will host European Youth Championship that will be held in Antalya from 14th to 23rd October.

This year we haven’t assigned two important events: Youth/Junior women’s championships and the new Women’s Team Cup. Nevertheless we remain confident entrusting these important events in a short time, that give rise to the development of women’s boxing in our continent.

The Strandja Memorial Tournament is Bulgaria’s biggest boxing event, It is the oldest International Amateur Boxing Competition in Europe and this year is celebrating the 68th edition in the history of the tournament.

This year will be 239 participants: 181 men and 58 boxers women boxers from 33 countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, China, Chinese Taipei, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, England, Georgia, Greece, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mauritius, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Usa and Wales.

On 24th February 2017, in Assisi, was inaugurated the National Museum of Boxing, realized above the National Technical Centre of the Italian Boxing Federation.

The project of this museum was created in 2004 by the Secretary of Ministry for Cultural Assets and Activities, Hon. Mario Pescante (now Ambassador to the IOC within the UN), who accepted the request to carry it by Franco Falcinelli, today EUBC President and Vice President AIBA at the time the FPI President.

“The creation of the first national boxing museum is the result of general will – said President Franco Falcinelli -, including the fundamental commitment and availability of the Municipality of Assisi and the Italian Boxing Federation. The keywords to describe this project are “to gather, to show, to inform and to engage.” It will be possible to admire both the permanent and temporary exhibition over the spaces dedicated to conferences, meetings, cultural events, training and updating”.

Visiting the museum you can admire historical objects and trophies of the noble art of 100 years of Italian Boxing history

There are also paintings, videos, books, newspapers, magazines, gloves, uniforms of the athletes and Olympic gold medals and there will be a space dedicated to women’s boxing .

EUBC President Franco Falcinelli, Ambassador to the IOC within the UN Mario Pescante, Major of Assisi Stefania Proietti

On 27th and 28th February, the yearly AIBA Commissions Meeting was held. in New Delhi (India), for two days of meetings the roadmap for Tokyo 2020 was finalized and shared.

To attend this meeting there were many European Commission Members and four AIBA Commission Chairmen: Franco Falcinelli, WSB Commission Chairman; Helmut Ranze, Chairman of Technical and Rules Commission; Adam Kusior, Chairman of the Coaches Commission, Boris Van Der Vost, Chairman of Marketing Commission, plus many other components such as Terry Smith, Krassimir Ininski, Waldemar Mencel, Fleming Nissen, Alex Neverkovich, Konstantin Koptsev, Mihail Takov, Emilia, Grueva, Joseph Hernon, Breandan O’Conaire, Angelika Fischer, Leila Nasirova, Wolfgang Seggl, Giorgio Brugnoli, Kevinn Rabaud, Anna Laukkanen, John Dovi, Dmitriy Gaistruk, Rizvan Genzhiyev, Matthew Holt.

On behalf of all members of the European Confederation and EC Members I would like to thank Mr. Flemming Nissen, EUBC Executive Member, for having served admirably on ITO’s role in European and world boxing.  Unfortunately we have received his letter of resignation from that role. We respect his choice and we are glad to have him with us inside the EUBC Executive Committee.