On the 28th of November, this past Saturday, three elite men boxers from Botswana left the country to compete at the 2025 IBA Men’s Elite World Championships.
The two-week long boxing festival is organised by the International Boxing Association (IBA). It is billed for December 2 to December 13 at Dubai’s iconic Tennis Stadium. And unlike any other time before, this championship promises to be a spectacle.
For the first time, there will be much more than just medals and pride to fight for. This particular championship promises to be the richest in IBA’s history. There is a purse totalling a little over US$8 million for boxers to dip their gloves on, with winners, runner ups and those finishing in top five expected to take something home.
And for financially struggling boxing associations like Botswana Boxing Association (BoBA), there will be an opportunity to gain money. That is provided their boxers finish in the top five during the two-week long championship.
According to information from IBA, winners in each weight category will be awarded a mouth-watering US$300,000 (+/- 4 million Pula) per weight category. Second and third place will earn $150,000 and $75,000 per weight category, with fifth place getting $10,000 per weight category.
From these prize monies, boxers will be entitled to half of the money, while coaches and national federations will be entitled to 25% apiece. IBA says “the prize distribution celebrates the combined efforts of boxers, their coaches and their respective National Federations, with each payout shared to recognise their collective contributions.”
“This World Championships is not just about records and prize money – it is about giving every boxer, every coach and every National Federation the respect and reward they deserve,” said President Umar Kremlev.
For BoBA, any hope of dipping their fingers on this million-dollar pot rests on the youthful shoulders of Kobamelo Molatlhegi, Ribbin Modise and Katlego Keorapetse, led by coach Chonga Ntoti who will be assisted by coach Tanaka Rauwe.
BoBA Publicity Secretary Kabelo Seleka says the championship will offer the three boxers ‘a platform to prove themselves.’ He says the trio were chosen following a rigorous selection process.
“Their selection is a culmination of work undertaken by BoBa’s coaches commission, development committee and the competitions committee. From the beginning of the year, these committees were at work watching boxers. Their input was critical in the team selection,” he says.
Among other things, the boxers were selected based on their attendance of BoBA competitions, their performances, technical ability as well as potential to develop further.
“We are looking beyond just this championship. We also want to build a team to compete at the next Olympics. If you look at the current team, it is made of youthful boxers with a room to develop. The oldest is Molatlhegi who is 25-years old,” Seleka says.
While optimistic the boxers will represent the country well, there will always be some wariness on BoBA to put them under pressure. Due to lack of funds, the boxers have not had the best of preparations. The team started camp this past Thursday, meaning they only had two days in camp before departing for Dubai.
Seleka says this was partly due to lack of funds. He says the association had to scrape here and there to even ensure the team could participate at the upcoming IBA elite championships.
As to why the country will send only three boxers, the BoBA publicity secretary says countries were given quotas by the organisers. Botswana was thus given only three slots. Had it not been for that, the country could have tried to send more boxers.
Meanwhile, BoBA president Dirang Thipe and the association’s Secretary General Tshiamo Moalosi are expected to jet off to Dubai on the 11th of December to attend the IBA Congress.
Seleka says if the local boxers are still in the tournament by the time the two arrive, they will have an opportunity to join them. “That however depends on how far our boxers will go. If they are not eliminated and are still there when they arrive, then they will join the team,” he says.
The congress will be Thipe and Moalosi’s first as BoBA president and Secretary General respectively.
