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The following is a faithful reproduction of an interview from September 2013, when Venezuelan journalist Jesús Cova sat down with President Emeritus Gilberto Mendoza to discuss his life, boxing, and the WBA for the Venezuelan newspaper El Universal.
The conversation offers valuable insight into who Mr. Mendoza truly was—his challenges, his achievements, and his contributions to the sport of boxing.
How was the WBA originally created?
The WBA was founded in 1921 in Rhode Island, New York, under the original name National Boxing Association. In 1962 it became the World Boxing Association.
When and where were you born, and who is Gilberto Mendoza?
I was born on March 30, 1943, in Barquisimeto, Lara State. I graduated as an industrial engineer from UCAB in 1966 and later pursued postgraduate studies in Administration and Organizational Development at the University of Toledo in Ohio, United States. I also specialized in Formal Business Planning at the Stanford Research Institute in Palo Alto, California. I currently serve as an advisor to companies in the Venezuelan sugar industry. I have been president of the WBA since October 7, 1982.
How did you become involved in boxing and rise to the highest position in the organization?
Fernando Mandry Galíndez and Alberto Sarmiento played key roles in my beginnings as a boxing administrator in 1976. That year the Aragua Boxing Commission was formed, where I started as treasurer while Sarmiento served as president. Later I joined the WBA Executive Committee, was appointed Administrative Advisor from 1980 to 1982, and designed the organizational structure of the WBA along with several manuals.
I have served as WBA president for 31 years, which will be completed on October 7. But my passion for boxing existed long before that—I practiced the sport as an amateur.
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