By Francis Ajuonuma
The Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF) is looking forward to a good outing from its boxers at the African Continental Qualification Tournament scheduled to be held from September 9-15 in Dakar, Senegal.
Nigeria will be competing at the tournament which serves as qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympics with nine boxers -six females and three males.
Secretary-General of the NBF, Dapo Akinyele in an interview with ThisNigeria expressed optimism that the Nigerian boxers have prepared well and are ready for the battle in Dakar.
According to him the men’s 92 kg where Nigeria will be represented by UK-based, Adam Olaore and the women’s 75 kg which will also feature another Nigerian UK-based, Patricia Mbata are sure bet Olympics tickets for the country.
“The federation is positive of a good outing because the boxers have prepared well and are ready to go. We are featuring nine boxers in the tournament in different weight categories. Specifically, we are taking six women and three men and these are our best, based on performance.
“In the men’s 92 kg where we are the African champion at the last African championships in Cameroon and in the women’s 75 kg where we have silver medalist, these are where we are very strong, so, we are banking on those two boxers – Mbata Patricia in the 75 kg female, and Adams Olaore in 92 kg men to qualify for the Olympics.
READ ALSO: Live streaming of matches: Elegbeleye seeks club owners’ support to Propel Sports Africa
“Apart from those two, we are equally sure that we are going to get more qualifiers from the other boxers that made the team. You know sports is no mathematics that you can just say this is what you are going to get, even if you are the champion all over anything can still happen, so with the training they have had, we are sure of positive outing,” said.
Akinyele will, however, commend the NBF president, Lt. General Kenneth Minimah (rtd) for making Nigeria’s participation at the boxing qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic Games possible, having missed out from the 2020 Olympics in Japan.
“Yes, Nigeria did not qualify for the last Olympics because we did not go for the qualification and that was why General Minimah gave me a standing instruction that this time around we must go. whatever it must take us to go we must go, he doesn’t want us to lose two consecutive Olympics and that’s why we are putting in our best to ensure that the boxers are in camp and make sure that we do preparation.
“Though we’re still awaiting money from the ministry and we hope that we’re going to get this money to support the team, but Minimah has said we must go and we are focused on going to qualify the boxer,” Akinyele added.
