The Ethiopian National Elite Boxing Championships are making history by hosting the first-ever International Boxing Association (IBA) Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course in Ethiopia. One Star R&J Training is run in the capital, Addis Ababa, by one of the IBA's lead instructors, Rajiv Godavarisingh Rajkumar, originally from Mauritius.
This innovative course attracted 17 R&Js keen to learn and acquire the skills required to umpire at an international level. Rajcoomar, who serves as Chair of the AFBC R&J Committee and a member of the IBA R&J Committee, brings extensive expertise in the sport to this certification course.
“I am impressed with the determination of all 17 candidates to progress to the next level and take a big step up in their R&J careers. My message is very simple – this course will be a game changer for the further development of boxing in Ethiopia and across Africa,” Rajcoomar said.
The IBA is determined to continue providing lifelong learning opportunities for AFBCs and invest in learning initiatives for officials from the continent. Fostering the development of African-origin officials and providing quality educational opportunities remains a top priority for our organisation and will always play a vital role in moving the sport forward.
Ethiopian Boxing Federation Technical Expert Yohannes Birhane expressed his gratitude to the IBA, saying, “On behalf of the Ethiopian Boxing Federation, we are extremely grateful to the IBA team for giving us this rare opportunity to host the first ever IBA course in the history of boxing in our country. We would also like to express our appreciation to the course instructor, Mr. Rajiv Godavarisingh Rajcoomar, for his professionalism. The success of this course is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the IBA development team, IBA instructors and course participants.”
The IBA would like to thank its African counterparts for their mutual support during the implementation of the courses in the region. The organization encourages other AFBC National Federations to submit requests for upcoming IBA educational courses and other inquiries directly to the IBA Development Department at development@iba.sport.
