Comoros Boxing Federation President Mohamed Abdou Mbechezi (pictured) has confirmed they will host next year’s Zone 4 Championships in April 2024.
“We had a very successful meeting with Africa Boxing Confederation delegation led by my brother Mendouga (Bertrand) and we agreed to host the tournament,” Mbechezi told AFBC Communications. “They toured hotels and all the proposed venues which the AFBC delegation approved. It was a great honour to welcome President Mendouga and his team to our country. We still need the support of AFBC and IBA especially on equipment and empowering us technically. We’re delighted by their announcement that during Zone 4 a Star One course for coaches and R/J will take place concurrently with the tournament.”
Mbechezi said to add more spice and flavour to the Zone 4 tournament, the preliminaries and finals might take place in different Islands that comprise the Comoros which is located on the Indian Ocean. “We might have the preliminaries in Ngazidja and finals in Anjouan but I will confirm after meeting with my executive board,” said Mbechezi.
Comoros or Comoro Islands is an archipelago of volcanic islands off the south-eastern coast of Africa to the East of Mozambique and Northwest of Madagascar. The four main islands that form the country are Grand Comore (Ngazigja), Moheli (Mwale), Anjouan (Nzwani) and Mayotte which is an overseas department of France. As of May 29, 2023, the population of Comoros stood at 923,314 based on Worldometer. The capital, Moroni, is located in Ngazidja Islands.
In addition to Mbechezi, the other members of Comoros Boxing Federation executive are Vice-President Loumane Azali, 2nd Vice-President Zaidou Chadhouli, 3rd Vice-President Raslane Hamada, Secretary-General Ahmed Bacar, Treasurer Dr Hilma Halidi, National Technical Director Abasse Illasse.
Mbechezi said they will use Zone 4 Championships to lure boxing fans back into the sport which he said has been in abeyance for the last 10 years. “Boxing was literally dead when we were elected last year in June but now we’re reviving it,” said Mbechezi.
According to Mbechezi, boxing was introduced in Comoros in 1964 by the late Rachad Mbae aka Moimbassa whom they describe as the Father of Comorian boxing. “Mbae was a boxing trainer, and started the sport in 1964 by training our youth, and in 1970 he played a big role in the formation of our boxing federation,” narrated Mbechezi. “In 1985 is when Mbae took our national team to their first ever international tournament in Mauritius.”
AFBC Communications
