By Juan Francisco Arias

The World Boxing Association (WBA) announced in January 2016 that it would work to reduce the number of WBA champions in boxing's 17 divisions and it has done so.

The year 2017 began with 32 champions and closed out with 25 champions in the 17 divisions, although it is worth mentioning that when the sanctioning body president Gilberto Mendoza started the plan to find a single champion in each weight class there were 42 champions.

There are also 9 divisions that currently have only one WBA champion or, aside from that, the title is vacant and is about to be contested. With this regard, the WBA Championships Committee has worked hard to enforce its resolutions, in addition, it has given mobility to many divisions by ordering eliminatory matches.

Mendoza says this shows the consistency that has been maintained in the new policies of the WBA and that in 2018 it will continue working on its proposals.

The WBA also added new allies for 2018: The International Association of Sports Journalists (AIPS for its acronym in Italian), The University of Antioquia (UdeA), The Mayor's Office of Medellín and the Government of Antioquia are now aligned with the sanctioning body.

The AIPS is the most important association of sports journalism and together with the WBA they will seek to strengthen and professionalize news regarding the sport. In addition, they aim to expand coverage in the events carried out by the sanctioning body.

While the Mayor's Office of Medellín and Gobernación de Antioquia gave a lot of support to the WBA's convention, and there are plans for both sides to work together in 2018. The intention is to develop boxing in the region of Medellin and support young athletes to have a better future.

In addition, in 2018 we hope to close agreements with the International Peace Group and the ADA Foundation, two institutions that operate throughout the world and whose main struggle is to develop boxing as a fundamental tool for peace.