UAE BARQ برق الإمارات – نبضك
The UAE Boxing Federation, in coordination with the Indian Boxing Federation and the International Boxing Association (AIBA), will host the Asian Boxing Championship on 21st May, 2021, in Dubai.
The championship was set to be held in the Indian capital, New Delhi, on the same date, but the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation in India prevented the event from taking place.
The UAE Boxing Federation subsequently offered to host the event in solidarity with India, and both the General Authority for Sports and the Asian Boxing Federation welcomed the move.
Anas Al Otaiba, President of the Asian and Emirati Federations, welcomed hosting the championship in the UAE, which will give Asian boxers who qualified for the Tokyo Olympics the opportunity to participate, enabling them to prepare for the Olympics in July. He also pointed out that the UAE supports friendly countries and allocates all possible resources to serve sports and lead the region and continent in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hassan Al Hammadi, Secretary-General of the UAE Boxing Federation, noted that the General Authority for Sports confirmed that it will provide all necessary assistance to make the event a success, affirming that the National Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) and all other relevant authorities were approached to support the event.
He added that today, he met with Saeed Abdul Ghaffar, Secretary-General of the General Authority for Sports, who stressed that the authority welcomes this step and will provide the necessary logistical support, including assisting relevant authorities in issuing entry visas to participating teams who will stay at the Royal Meridien Hotel in Dubai close to the airport.
Al Hammadi then thanked the authority and Ghaffar for their efforts to make Emirati sporting programmes succeed, which will advance the national sports sector and reinforce the UAE’s regional sporting stature.
“We will cooperate with all our partners in hosting the Asian Boxing Championship and ensuring its success. The event will be renamed the ‘Asian Boxing Championship, New Delhi-Dubai,’ in light of our keenness to support our friends in India,” he added.
