Gaborone — Botswana Boxing Association (BoBA) has sent five boxers to Dakar, Senegal for the Paris 2024 Boxing Africa Qualifier to be held from September 9-15.
The team, comprising Mahommed Rajab (51kg), George Molwantwa (57kg) and Kabo Seitshiro (63.5kg) and two female boxers in Aratwa Kasemang (60kg) and Keamogetse Kenosi (57kg), left for Dakar on Tuesday after a successful training camp held in Lusaka, Zambia recently.
In an interview, BoBA public relations officer, Taolo Tlouetsile said Africa had been reserved 18 slots for boxing at the Olympics to be held in Paris, France from July 26 to August 11 next year.
Tlouetsile said the male boxers needed to win a gold from the Dakar competition in order to qualify for the Olympic Games while female boxers needed to get either a silver or gold.
The team is in Dakar under tutelage of the duo of Thebe Setlalekgosi and Pearl Mooketsi while Boitumelo Taolo is the team manager.
It is also accompanied by a doctor and physiotherapist. Meanwhile, the Dakar boxing event is the second qualifier for Paris after the European Games that were held in June this year which saw 44 boxers obtain quota places for their National Olympic Committees (NOCs).
Boxers who will fail to earn quota spots in Dakar would be accorded further opportunities at the two world qualification tournaments billed for Busto Arzizio, Italy from
February 29 to March 12 and Bangkok, Thailand from May 23 to June 3 next year.
BOPA
