Ouagadougou: The Russian-Burkinabe association ‘African initiative’ organized on Saturday in Ouagadougou, an amateur boxing gala evening between Burkinabe and Russian athletes to bring the two peoples together, noted the AIB.
In addition to the curtain-raising fight in educational boxing, African initiative organized four amateur fights between Burkinabè and Russian boxers.
The first fight pitted Burkinabè Oumarou Sana against Russian Syphan Gurbanov in the 51 kg category. The victory went to the Russian fighter on points. In the 2nd fight at the 71kg level between the Burkinabè Raymond Sanou and the Russian Sergon Bagdasarian, it was the Burkinabè who took the victory.
In the 75kg category, the Russian Shakkobzhon Chukupov won the fight against the Burkinabe Inoussa Bado. In the final fight at the 80kg level, Burkinabè Ahmed Bassolé was the winner.
Each winner won the gold medal, a certificate and the sum of 100,000 FCFA while the losers each pocketed a sum of 50,000 FCFA, a silver medal and a certificat
e.
The president of the Burkinabè National Olympic and Sports Committee Jean Yaméogo promised a sum of 50,000 FCFA to each Burkinabè pugilist.
According to the president of the Russian-Burkinabe African initiative association Soumaïla Azenwo Ayo, this activity ‘is in line with the rapprochement of our two peoples through sport. We are satisfied with it.’
Having followed the fights, he said that this is the beginning of sporting activities in several disciplines such as boxing, football, basketball, cycling.
‘It has been a long enough time since there has been a boxing gala in Burkina. We believe that through sport the Burkinabè and Russian people will get to know each other better. For us there are no winners. Everyone is. These are the two countries that won.’
He added that ‘Russian athletes were happy to come to Africa and box. Our boxing athletes were also happy. They certainly learned something and we think this is the start of a partnership between Burkina Faso and Russian boxing. We are in the proc
ess of seeing how we can bring Russian cyclists for the Tour du Faso.’
For the Burkinabè boxer Inoussa Bado who won his fight ‘my opponent was not bad, since he is a left-hander. In boxing when there is a false guard it is difficult to box. You have to be accustomed to being able to master left-handers. I worked on my combinations and the techniques I had against lefties.’
The president of the Burkinabè Boxing Federation Jérémie Bouda, who gave the start of the fights with the Russian representative, welcomed this boxing gala.
‘I’m proud because this is what we’ve always been waiting for. The entire Federation is proud of this gala. As long as you don’t have competitions like this it’s very difficult to go out and win elsewhere. In these 4 fights, Burkina Faso won two fights, as many as Russia,’ he rejoiced.
As a reminder, African initiative is ‘a humanitarian association created in 2023 by Russians and Burkinabè’.
Source: Burkina Information Agency