Five amateur boxers have left for Morocco to compete in the Africa Olympic qualification tournament with a firm instruction to all that they punch their way to the 2012 London Olympics Games.
Zambia Amateur Boxing Federation (ZABF) president Thomas Chileshe said before the team’s departure yesterday that he expects nothing short of qualification from each of them.
There are 48 slots up for grabs at the qualifying tournament set for April 27 to May 6 in Casablanca. Africa has a quota of 52 boxers but Algerian boxers have already qualified for some of the slots, leaving Morocco qualifiers in April with 48 places to be occupied.
Chileshe told the boxers that they are not going to Morocco for holiday but to ably represent Zambia.
The highly motivated boxers are bantamweight Mumbela Mukuni, lightweight Bazira Ngosa, flyweight Obed Mutapa, light-welterweight Gilbert Choombe and light-flyweight Christopher Katanga.
They are accompanied by coaches Elias Kataya and Gibson Kasonde.
The team left via Ethiopia and were later expected to connect to Casablanca through Paris.
They were seen off at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport by National Sports Council of Zambia board member Mwamba Kalenga.
“As ZABF we are proud to send the boxers for the qualifiers despite some challenges encountered along the way. We have high expectations because we are not sending them for holiday but to go and qualify,” Chileshe said.
Head coach Kataya asked Zambians to pray for the boxers.He is confident that at least three of them will make it to the London finals.
At the last Olympic Games hosted by Beijing in China, Zambia was represented by three boxers: lightweight Hastings Bwalya, flyweight Kassias Chiyanika and welterweight Precious Makina who got a wildcard entry.
Boxers in the current squad hope to improve on these numbers. Choombe said he will aim to top his category. He said now was the best time to get a gold medal because he was tired of finishing second.
Choombe minted silver at the 2012 SADC Games and another silver during an international friendly against Namibia the same year.
Ngosa said he has now matured to win a medal at an international event.
Ngosa, who was eliminated at the semi-final stage during the 2009 Lesotho SADC games, said he is now a polished boxer ready to go all the way to the final.
Meanwhile, Chileshe has thanked Midlands clubs for confirming participation in Saturday’s Copperbelt tournament being held to begin a selection process for boxers to compete in the 2012 SADC Under-20 Games.
Chileshe said this should help end the wrangles between Midlands clubs and the ZABF executive committee.
In the last two months Midlands clubs have shunned ZABF organized tournaments because they have allegedly refused to recognize the Chileshe-led executive which was ushered in office on February 4.
“I humble myself for the maturity the clubs from the midlands have shown. This is now time to bury the hatchet and move on for the betterment of the sport,” Chileshe said.
[Daily Mail]
I have always been so proud of Zambian boxers for their quality performances on the international stage. Zambia has always produced Olympic boxers.
Go Zambia! It is another opportunity.
#1 You peace of.. get back to Malawi. Zambians are frustrated people because their boxers get beaten like useless Malawians, which Zambian boxer do you know who did well at olympics.