President Paul Kagame on Sunday evening, September 28, 2025, met with Cameroonian-born French professional boxer Carlos Takam, who recently founded the Carlos Takam Boxing Academy in Kigali.
During the meeting, Takam presented President Kagame with an authentic World Boxing Council (WBC) World Champion’s belt in recognition of Rwanda’s support to sports development and the mission of the Carlos Takam Foundation.
The meeting took place shortly after the conclusion of the 2025 UCI Road World Championships.
According to a statement from the Office of the President, the newly opened Carlos Takam Boxing academy aims to promote and nurture the sport of boxing across Africa. The academy was launched earlier this week under the Carlos Takam Foundation.
Takam, born in December 1980 in Douala, Cameroon, is a renowned heavyweight boxer who has faced some of the sport’s biggest names, including Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker.
In addition to meeting Takam, Kagame also received Magdeleine Vallieres Mill, the Canadian cyclist who made history by becoming the first Canadian to win the Women’s Elite Road Race at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships.
Vallieres Mill, 24, completed the 164.6 km course, consisting of 11 laps, in 4 hours, 34 minutes, and 48 seconds, finishing 23 seconds ahead of New Zealand’s Niamh Fisher-Black. Her victory earned Canada its first-ever gold medal in the Women’s Elite Road Race category.
Both meetings highlighted Rwanda’s growing role as a hub for international sporting events and its recognition of athletes who continue to inspire excellence across the globe.
