Eyasu Wessen, president of Ethiopia’s boxing federation and chairman of Omotic Business Group, is challenging for the top leadership post in African boxing as he vies to become the new president of the African Boxing Confederation in its upcoming November election.
With experience steering Ethiopian boxing for six years, Eyasu now aims to take the reins of the continental organization that oversees prizefighting prospects across Africa.
Sources indicate Eyasu brings an unparalleled blend of administrative expertise and business acumen to the table. Having steered the ship of Ethiopian boxing for the past six years, Eyasu is now setting his sights on an even bigger challenge – leading the continental body. He will face stiff competition from four other nominees representing Uganda, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Morocco in the upcoming election.
Under his stewardship, he has managed to pull the organization back from the brink of financial ruin through creative partnerships, according to reports. Sponsorships secured via his private conglomerate Omotic Group kept programs running and allowed the national team to compete internationally.
This historic bid makes Eyasu the first Ethiopian to aim for the top job at the AFBC.
Insiders say Eyasu’s commercial prowess and contacts in the sportswear world could be just what the confederation needs.
Originally scheduled for October, turmoil behind the scenes has seen the voting pushed back. Citing difficulties with visa approvals and controversies over the published candidate listings, the AFBC board announced a postponement of the election to November 18, 2023, delaying the vote by one month.
“The postponement is motivated by the difficulty most delegates had in obtaining visas and the uproar caused by the disputed publication of the list of definitively selected candidates,” it stated.
As the power play intensifies heading into the rescheduled date, all eyes in African ringside will be on Ethiopia’s top man. Eyasu will be banking on his record of success at the national level translating as he aims to take the reins of an entire continent’s prizefighting prospects.
