WBA Directorate in Sofia, Bulgaria began

The Directorate Meeting of the World Boxing Association (WBA) is already taking place at the “Kempinski Marinela Hotel” in Sofia, Bulgaria until next Saturday June 13, 2015.

At 9:00 am Thursday, took place the opening ceremony of the World Boxing Association Directorate meeting, where the official quorum was veryfied and started the first proceedings related to the services the WBA renders the world of Boxing.

WBA President, Dr. Gilberto Mendoza, shared his words of welcome, the new directorate designations (that will be reporting soon) and some reflections on the non-Deferrable goals of this important conclave of world boxing.

The attendees reviewed and approved the minutes of the last meetings (Santo Domingo, República Dominicana), partial Directorate meeting (Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico). In addition, the list of issues and actions that should be tuned during the next two days of the meeting was detailed.

Afterwards, WBA vice president, Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, addressed the plenary, where he detail the points and members appointed for each of the committees for “Special Tasks” (special goals), including Bylaws Revision Committee, the Rules Revision Committee, a Research on Environmental Threats for Sanction Bodies Committee Marketing opportunities, gloves, and improvements to health and KO Drugs Boxing Festival.

During the rest of this Thursday, on a very tight working agenda, they will discuss the reports from the Treasury and the WBA various committees, including Ratings, Legal, legislative and World Championships, reports among others.

Also the different directors of the regional bodies affiliated to the WBA, including PABA, NABA, PAFBA, Fedelatin, Intercontinental, and female boxing submitted their activity reports, as well as the period balance, plans and projections, among other issues.

Attending the meeting are Panamanians Miguel Prado and Gustavo Padilla (ratings committee), Colombian Francisco Pina (Administration and Budget Committee), the second vice president of the WBA, Korean Yang Sup Shim, Argentine-Canadian director George Martinez (International and Women’s Championship), Panamanian director Aurelio Fiengo (Fedelatin), the medical director, Dr. Calvin Inalsingh (Trinidad and Tobago), the WBA legal advisor, American Robert Mack, the American adviser, Matt Podgorski, South African director Stanley Christodoulou (Hall of Famer) and directors Jose Emilio Graglia (Argentina) and Jesper Jensen (Denmark). In addition, the COO, Julio Thyme, and Gilberto Echeverría, the strategic staff of Panama.

On Wednesday night was held the first formal activity of the Agenda, the “Welcome Cocktail” at the “Silhouette” Hall of the Marinela Hotel, where all the delegates representing more than 40 countries, including directors, promoters, officials, boxing personalities were welcomed by the WBA president himself, Dr. Gilberto Mendoza and the WBA / Europe International Coordinator, the Bulgarian Mariana Borissova, who is also the director hostess, who has organized all the logistics of this global event.

Among the delegates, there were the Panamanian four time world champion, Roberto Duran and former world challenger and heavyweight rated boxer, Kubrat Pulev; and the promoters Ricardo Rizzo, Vlad Hrunov, Gary Shaw, Philippe Fondu y Salvatore Cherchi.

During this WBA Directorate meeting, on Friday, June 12, there will be a seminar for European judges and referees. Luis Pabon (Puerto Rico), Gustavo Padilla (Panama) and Raul Caiz Senior. (USA) will conduct the seminar.

Sofia is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Bulgaria. With a population of over a million and half of inhabitants, Sofia is located in Western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha, in the Sofia Valley, which is surrounded by mountains in all directions.

One of the oldest and most historical capital of Europe, Sofia adopted its name from the Church of Hagia Sophia, one of the oldest in the city, as a national tribute to the Sophia Martyr Saints, mother of faith, hope and love.

Sofia is the administrative, economic, cultural, transportation, and educational center of Bulgaria. The ancient Sofia is also an important religious center. In addition, Sofia is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Bulgaria, for its museums and monuments, the Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky and the Boyana Church. The Vitosha Boulevard is the main street in the center of Sofia, which contains many shops, restaurants and elegant cafes.

Photos Alexander Velev