This weekend marks my first official visit to France after the Fédération Française de Boxe became a member of WORLD BOXING.

This weekend marks my first official visit to France after the Fédération Française de Boxe became a member of WORLD BOXING. 

This beautiful country has produced many honorable Olympians in boxing, and many more will undoubtedly emerge in the future.

I had the pleasure of speaking with the French Boxing Federation President, former four-time national champion Dominique Nato, and the board of directors of the FFP. On behalf of World Boxing, I extended our expectation for productive cooperation with the French Federation to improve Olympic-style boxing for the better.

Later, I was invited to the finals of the French National Championships at the impressive Arena Le Palio Périgord in the city of Boulazac, where I had the opportunity to address the importance of World Boxing’s mission to the boxers and everyone in attendance. I was impressed by the performances of all participants, especially Bilal Benali and Sthélyne Grosy, who were the absolute standouts.

At the end of the finals, I had a fruitful conversation with Sydney 2000 gold medalist Brahim Asloum, who pledged his support for World Boxing. He told me that winning the gold medal at the Olympics was a moment that changed his life, and he believes that World Boxing will help the younger generation of boxers change their lives as well.

#TimeForWORLDBOXING