President Paul Kagame has received a prestigious gift from professional boxer Carlos Takam, who presented him with an authentic World Championship belt in recognition of Rwanda’s support for sports development in Africa.
The meeting took place on the evening of September 28, shortly after the conclusion of the 2025 UCI Road World Championships held in Kigali.
According to a statement shared by Village Urugwiro, the Office of the President, Kagame met with Carlos Takam, a Cameroonian-born French professional heavyweight boxer who recently launched the Carlos Takam Boxing Academy in Kigali through the Carlos Takam Foundation.
“This week, the Carlos Takam Foundation opened the Carlos Takam Boxing Academy in Kigali, with the aim of promoting boxing in Africa. Carlos Takam also presented President Kagame with an authentic WBC World Champion belt as a gesture of appreciation to Rwanda and to highlight the mission of the Carlos Takam Foundation,” the statement read.
Born in December 1980 in Douala, Cameroon, Takam has built an illustrious career in the heavyweight division, facing world-renowned fighters such as Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker.
During the same occasion, President Kagame also met Magdeleine Vallieres Mill, a Canadian cyclist who claimed gold in the women’s elite road race at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships.
Village Urugwiro added: “President Kagame met Magdeleine Vallieres Mill, the Canadian cyclist who won the women’s elite road race at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships. Vallieres Mill became the first Canadian woman to win the world title, completing the 164.6 km course in 4 hours, 34 minutes, and 48 seconds, finishing 23 seconds ahead of New Zealand’s Niamh Fisher-Black.”
The 24-year-old cyclist made history for her country with this victory, adding another highlight to Kigali’s successful hosting of the global cycling event.
Author: Justinmind HARERIMANA
