Monrovia – Liberian-born international boxer Freddy Kiwitt says it is time to give local boxers the opportunity to showcase their talents in a more improved environment of boxing.
Freddy who returned to the ring early November with a win, as his latest victim came by way of a fifth-round knockout. The German-based boxer is currently in Liberia with a team to showcase their passion for boxing to Liberians.
In a chat with FrontPageAfrica, the first Liberian professional boxer said coming back home is to give back to his country and is working with a non-profit organization called Save More Kinds and Boxing is Love.
“We traveled across Liberia with a team from across the world to introduce our passion, boxing, to the people. As the first professional Liberian champion, I feel I have the duty to share my blessings with the people,” he told FPA Sports Desk.
Though boxing is not really popular in Liberia, Freddy took his team to central Liberia – Bong County, Gbarnga – where they visited several areas including Christ Children Home to carry out boxing exhibition in that part of Liberia.
“We’re not scouting the boxers, we trying to give them opportunities to facilities and equipment to train so they can compete. I’m the ambassador of the LBA so we’re trying to put a team together to represent Liberian amateur boxing and by God’s grace send them to the Olympics.”
– Freddy Kiwitt, Germany-based Liberian boxer
Prior to departing Monrovia for Gbarnga, Freddy and his team had trained with some young boxers at the Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex to see potential boxers and give them the fundamentals of the sport.
Freddy: “I feel like sport has the power to change the world and boxing is an individual sport so if you believe in God, yourself and work hard and be consistent for your dream, nothing is impossible”.
“We’re not scouting the boxers, we trying to give them opportunities to facilities and equipment to train so they can compete. I’m the ambassador of the LBA so we’re trying to put a team together to represent Liberian amateur boxing and by God’s grace send them to the Olympics,” Kiwitt who is ranked 14th in the World of Boxing Organization said.
Speaking on why he decided to fight under the flag of Liberia and not Germany his father country, the reigning African Welterweight Champion and reigning European Welterweight champion, says he chose to box under the Liberian flag because his heart is still in Liberia. “This is where my heart is. Also, because there’s so many boxers in Germany and we’ve never had this in Liberia. This is why I want to give the people hope that if I can do it, they can do it too.”
According Kiwitt, his visit in Liberia is to push a boxing youth program to help the youths to do something with their lives, to give them opportunities to reach where he has reached and beyond.
Kiwitt adds: “The people need role models. If you look at George Weah, everybody wants to play football because of what he did. I want to be the same for boxing in Liberia. I want to give the guys some hope that if you keep praying and keep working hard, whatever you want to do, you can do it, if you just believe in God, believe in the system and you can accomplish anything in the world.”
Many times the Liberia Boxing Association cried that they lack modern boxing equipment which is responsible for the underperformance of Liberian local boxers at international competitions.