Maun — Botswana Boxing Association (BoBA) is calling on sponsors to come on board to fund pugilists to compete in elite competitions.
The call was made by BoBA acting vice president Boitumelo Taolo during an interview on the sidelines of the inter boxing tournament hosted by Maun Boxing Club over the weekend.
He said boxing clubs were struggling financially as many boxers missed opportunities to participate in competitions.
"Our clubs are doing a great job to nurture young talent with an aim of making it big. We want to see these youngsters growing and given more international exposure," he said.
Taolo also commended Maun Boxing Club for hosting the tournament, which he said was in line with their mandate of taking sport to the communities.
Maun Boxing Club, Taolo said was one of the clubs that had the potential to harness talent and produce national stars but the efforts were hampered by lack of resources to participate even in national tournaments.
Some clubs, he said also decried distance to participate in Maun and hoped their plea for sponsorship would be heard
For his part, Maun Boxing Club secretary, Hosea Chendo said since the formation of the club in 2010, it was their first time to host such a big tournament, which he said was a catalyst to boxers to strive for excellence.
The tournament, Chendo said aimed to give boxers an exposure to produce champions who would compete both nationally and internationally.
He was hopeful that the tournament would motivate upcoming youngsters to develop positive attitudes so that they become competitive.
"There is a lot of unearthed talent in our district, which needed to be nurtured and developed.
Currently, we managed to bring over 20 young boxers because we believe that they needed this platform to prove themselves so that other established clubs could absorb them and eventually become professional boxers," he said.
Chendo thanked BDF club for making the tournament a success, saying they helped with resources.
Meanwhile, the tournament, which attracted 10 clubs with 32 bouts, was a marvel to watch as it featured best boxers in various weight divisions.
BOPA
