There might be brighter days ahead for Cameroonian boxers as a French promoter is planning to organize top level boxing competitions in Cameroon as well as ameliorate the living and training conditions of athletes in the country to curb the rate of talent drain to richer countries in Europe and Asia.
The promoter, Perez Wilma, plans to start by organizing a boxing gala in February in the build up to the Youth Day celebrations; a gala during which there shall be ten amateur matches and three professional fights featuring legendary boxers like Akono alias the Cobra and Watat of Douala.
The gala she says is just the beginning of the adventure as she wants to create a framework for the promotion of African boxing, organize a double African championship in Cameroon as well as ameliorate the living and training conditions of plays.
Perez Wilma who happens to be married to a former Cameroonian boxer and trainer, Engong Roger Daniel, says she was motivated to undertake the initiative because of the great potentials displayed by Cameroonian boxers who excel once out of the country. "A Cameroonian should be able to win a world title at home without necessarily going out of the country," she said.
She says she has already contacted some sponsors who will accompany her in the project notably the European Parliament, the French International Solidarity Fund, the African banks group to obtain subventions towards the construction of an up to date boxing complex with equipment for muscular training, boxing ring and all other facilities found in countries in Europe.
"We want boxers to enjoy boxing in Cameroon and earn a living from it. To achieve this objective, she is negotiating a partnership with the Cameroon Boxing Federation and says it is a way of accompanying President Paul Biya to attain the objection of Cameroon being an emerging country by 2035 in the domain of boxing.