Rwanda has become the 99th member of the Word Alliance Boxing Association (WABA). It marks a landmark achievement which summed up three years of negotiations between WABA Rwanda, represented by Guy Rurangayire, and the WABA global top management. WABA president Onesmo Alfred McBride, who is in the country since Saturday, December 7, confirmed Rwanda as the new member of franchise in an event held at Kigali Universe which has been hosting boxing competitions for locals and internationals since it started operations in May. “We are signing with WABA Rwanda, making them the 99th member of WABA. We are not just an organization, we are threat to other organisations,” McBride said. Securing WABA membership is something that Rurangayire described as a “milestone for Rwandan boxing community.” “It’s special and historic day for Rwandan boxing. We are very happy as fighters and I hope the best is yet to come,” said Rurangayire. “We are going to see fighters coming to fight here, the only challenge we had was the point of entrance (to be recognised by WABA),” he added. Rwanda becomes only the third African country to get WABA membership, joining South Africa and Ghana. Right after securing the WABA membership, first-ever professional WABA Supreme boxing championships took place in Kigali on Sunday night during two fights were lined up at Kigali Universe. The women’s fight pitted Swedish boxer Sanda Attermo against Rwanda’s Ange Nsengiyumva for the WABA Supreme World Super Bantamweight Championship while the co-main event saw Rwanda’s Vincent Nsengiyumva take on Uganda’s Vincent Manguso for the vacant WABA Supreme Africa Light Heavyweight Title. McBride attended the fights.
