Mauricio Sulaimán Saldivar
President of the World Boxing CouncilMauricio was born on December 30, 1969 in Mexico City, Federal District, the youngest son of José Sulaiman Chagnon and Martha Saldivar Morales. Brother of Jose, Lucy, Hector, Fernando and Claudia.
A man passionate about music and sports, who from childhood followed in the footsteps of his father Don Jose Sulaiman, the man who taught him to serve others.
He graduated in Business Administration from the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Campus Estado de Mexico.
His academic achievements include two more specialties, a diploma in finance and another in High Responsibility Management by the Association of Presidents from America.
Mauricio was President and CEO of Empresa Controles Gráficas, a manufacturing company with three business divisions: printing, security and digital solutions. In 1992 the WBC appointed Mauricio Director of Public Relations and 1994 he was elected Vice President of the North American Boxing Federation (NABF).
In 2004 he took on the responsibility of Executive Secretary of the World Boxing Council. On February 12, 2014, he was unanimously elected President of the World Boxing Council.
During his time as head of the organization, Mauricio has worked, guided by the multitude of values and principles that his father taught him in more than 38 years at the head of the WBC, including honesty, responsibility, respect, loyalty, solidarity and the invaluable gift of friendship.
Throughout his presidency, Mauricio has created and shaped various initiatives, such as amateur and professional tournaments, active participation in social and reintegration programs, promotion of women’s boxing with the organization of three conventions, monitoring of the “Jose Sulaiman” Fund helping boxers in need, creation of special belts to commemorate classic fights, plus seminars for judges and referees all around the world.
Also and significantly, the creation of the Clean Boxing Program (CBP) in collaboration and cooperation with VADA, which has as its main objective, apart from the tests, to comprehensively educate athletes about the dangers and disadvantages that doping can cause, in addition to the penalties in testing positive for prohibited substances, inside or outside of a competition.
Another important action developed by Mauricio, is full cooperation with the foundation of Pope Francis, Scholas Occurrentes, with the task of serving children in search of a better future, regardless of religion, race or color, through sports, as well as the pardon granted to Jack Johnson, the first African American heavyweight champion, by the President of the United States.
This year has been an exacting challenge for everyone, and sport like many other aspects of daily life, suffered a grievous blow. The COVID-19 Pandemic put everyone’s resilience to the test, but the organization led by Mr. Sulaimán, sought, as has always been the WBC way, to remain active, encourage and to unite the entire boxing family, and since the beginning of the pandemic, he undertook several key actions.
Starting with the “Stay at Home” campaign, later with practices with champions involving fans to add to the #WBCworkout, so we could all safely stay active. Daily talks known as WBC talks in English and Spanish from Monday to Friday, enabling the boxing and sports community to remain connected, entertained and above all active.
Likewise, the organization designed a medical-administrative protocol to return to boxing without fan attendance, so that events could be safely carried out. This document, which led the way, was shared throughout the world and has been very successful in all continents.
Various social responsibility activities were developed by delivering and providing aid to support the boxing community, especially older people who cannot leave their homes.
“Heroes for Humanity” was one of the most important initiatives, as it seeks to recognize and praise those who from different fronts, who selflessly placed themselves in the forefront, by contributing to their communities in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, via extraordinary and courageous initiatives and actions.
For this vital purpose, in each country, a hero is recognized with a scale replica of the WBC Mazahua-Otomí belt.
All of these actions have helped tremendously during the pandemic, and being a man who not only leads the most important organization of Boxing, namely the WBC, but is at the forefront of service to others has led Mauricio to win the 2020 National Sports Award in the category of “Promotion, Protection and Impulse,” an award that he will receive on November 20 from the hands of the President of the Mexican Republic, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
It is important to mention and to remember that five years ago, posthumously, Mauricio`s father, Don José Sulaiman was also honored with this recognition, as he was and always will be a promoter and inspirational pioneering leader, who took boxing to another level into the modern era, always prioritizing the health, protection and well being of the boxers.
