Hosted by the Boxing Federation of Tanzania (BFT) at the Dar es Salaam Police Academy, the course took place over a week in early August. IBA Referees and Judges Committee Chairman Sadie Duffy from Ireland and AFBC Referees and Judges Committee Chairman Godavarisingh Rajcoomar oversaw the programme. 

Lukelo Willilo, President of the BFT, said such events were of great benefit to the sport in the country: "This training is aimed not only at equipping our officials with new knowledge and skills, but also at laying the foundation for the sustainable development of boxing in Tanzania. We believe that boxing has the potential to elevate the country's international status and investing in the training of our community is vital." 

"By partnering with the IBA, we are assured that these esteemed international trainers will provide our referees and judges with skills and insights that will open up new global opportunities for them. We expect the participants to gain the necessary expertise to effectively represent Tanzania in international competitions and ensure professional and accurate officiating," he added.

There have been 22 IBA training programmes so far this year, including R&J, Coaches, ITO, R&J Evaluator and R&J Instructor courses. Next up are online 1-Star Coaches courses for Portugal and Brazil, a Champion's Night course for R&Js and a course for current ITOs to become IBA Technical Delegates in Assisi on 5-8 September.

Curiously, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games have experienced a serious problem due to the lack of referees, forcing those present into horrendous marathon sessions that have affected their decisions. Too many rounds every day, while many of the referees refused to go along with World Boxing and the International Olympic Committee.

The International Boxing Association (IBA) is the world governing body of boxing, founded in 1946. Its strategy is underpinned by an athlete-first approach, with a clear mission to promote, support, develop and unite the prestigious and historic sport worldwide.