The International Boxing Association’s Year of Africa truck has arrived in Zambia for 10 days of activities, courses and events ©AIBA

The International Boxing Association's (AIBA) Year of Africa truck has arrived in Zambia for 10 days of activities, courses and events aimed at inspiring and educating the continent’s boxing community and also bringing a new audience to the sport.

The Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) in Lusaka is the focal point of the stop, which follows three weeks in South Africa.

The Year of Africa truck’s mobile gym and Taishan Sports portable ring will also visit communities outside of the capital city.

"The Year of Africa continues to go from strength to strength as it travels the continent sharing the values and spirit of boxing," AIBA President C K Wu said.

"Having made a huge impact in South Africa, we are delighted to touch down in Zambia and work with the Olympic Youth Development Centre as well as once more deploying the Year of Africa truck to bring boxing closer to the region’s rural communities and further inspire the young people who could become this country’s next great champion."

The Zambia-leg activities will see representatives of Botswana, Uganda and Zimbabwe participate in a GlovesUp entry-level certification course for coaches, referees and judges, and National Federation staff.

A one-star coaching course is also due to be held.

More than 200 children from affiliated boxing clubs will receive training at the OYDC, which will host a series of exhibition matches.

"I am glad that AIBA has brought this extensive development programme here to the Olympic Youth Development Centre," Clement Chileshe, director of the OYDC, said.

"Our experience in working with AIBA to ensure that principles of youth development and gender equality are widely integrated has been very positive and I look forward to further collaborations across the next Olympic cycles to ensure maximum synergy between the facility support of OYDC and AIBA’s development programme."

Zambia had athletes competing at the 2017 African Boxing Championships, which took place in the Republic of Congo's capital Brazzaville last month ©AIBA
Zambia had athletes competing at the 2017 African Boxing Championships, which took place in the Republic of Congo's capital Brazzaville last month ©AIBA

AIBA’s legacy project aims to expose more than 750,000 people to boxing for the first time throughout the Year of Africa, offering over 4,800 certified courses to elevate administrative, coaching and officiating best practice.

Through this extensive educational programme, it is hoped the Year of Africa will help raise standards right across the continent’s boxing community.

"The Zambian Boxing Federation is highly motivated by the opportunities the Year of Africa brings to our country to mobilise the boxing community and all key stakeholders to change the perception of this educational, progressive sport," Kennedy Mubita, President of the Zambian Boxing Federation, said.

"The growth of knowledge through the GlovesUp courses that will be undertaken will also help us as a Federation to raise the standards of Zambian boxing at all levels."

Zambia were represented by the likes of Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Benny Muziyo at last month’s African Confederation Boxing Championships in the Republic of Congo’s capital Brazzaville.

Muziyo lost to Egyptian top seed Hosam Bakr Abdin in the quarter-finals of the men’s middleweight event.