A overall of 179 boxers – 121 men and 58 ladies – from 25 international locations will right now start off investing leather-based in the one-7 days Africa Championships in Maputo, Mozambique.
ln what claims to be the most keenly contested at any time championships, the fight lines are drawn between North African international locations and Sub-Saharan African teams with hosts Mozambique all out to make an impact boasting of two earth championships medallists, gentle-middleweight Alcinda Panguane who received a silver medal in Istanbul Worlds and middleweight bronze medallist Rady Gramane, and Commonwealwialth Video games light-middleweight silver medallist Tiago Muxanga.
The 25 taking part nations are Algeria, Botswana, Burundi, defending total champions Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, DR Congo, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda and Zambia. Conspicuously lacking in action are West African dominant boxing nations Ghana and Nigeria.
To encourage the boxers and also increase the requirements of boxing in the continent, the freshly-elected Africa Boxing Confederation (AFBC) business below President Bertrand Mendouga has strike the ground functioning by introducing prize money in the championships, the very first time boxers in Africa’s premier boxing event will get income in addition to the medals.
Gold medallists will pocket $10,000, silver $5000 and $2,500 for bronze medallists.
Mendouga and his workforce are walking tall getting taken this giant stage in revitalising boxing in Africa.
“This is just the starting, we program to introduce extra rewarding tournaments in Africa to inspire our boxers,” mentioned Mendouga, including: “We thank the Global Boxing Affiliation President Umar Kremlev for supporting us monetarily, a very clear sign IBA needs to see boxing in Africa back again at the leading.”
Thirty-two bouts are lined up in today’s card which will have Maputo followers on the edge of their seats.
Cameroon’s feminine flyweight Laure Ngouane and Morocco’s Mediterranean Games lightweight silver medallist Chymae Rhaddi grow to be the initially boxers to make it to the finals as a result of byes just after their respective body weight categories captivated only three boxers.
Various other boxers are as a result of to the semi-finals devoid of breaking a sweat. Amid them involve all female boxers in the light-welter and mild-heavyweight berths.
Algeria’s globe championships bronze medallist Imane Khelif and Morocco’s planet heavyweight silver medallist Khadija Mardi are some of the boxers now in the medal bracket and also company favourites to win gold. Mardi has dropped down to gentle-heavyweight.
South Africa’s to start with female boxer to win a medal in the Commonwealth Games, Phiwokuhle Mnguni is also certain of a bronze medal in the featherweight classification after acquiring a bye to the semis.
It will not be a wander in the park for the 21-12 months-old Mnguni from Dundee in KwaZulu Natal as she will deal with the winner of the seemingly mouth-watering quarter-last bout amongst 2019 African Games gold and silver medallists Botswana’s Keamogetse Sadie Kenosi and Mali’s Paris-centered Marine Fatoumata Camara who dropped to Kenosi in the finals of the African Game titles in Rabat.
An additional potent boxer in the women’s featherweight bout is DR Congo’s Marcelet Sakobi, a gold medallist in the 2017 African Championships in Brazzaville.
Kenya’s evergreen Nick “Commander” Okoth is the other defending champion in Maputo. He won lightweight gold in the 2017 Africa Championships.
Okoth is just one of the boxers in motion nowadays versus Sudan’s Wadah Mahmoud although Botswana’s silver medallist in Brazzaville Rajab Otukile Mahomed battles Algeria’s Mohammed Moziane in the flyweight division which has attracted 10 boxers.
Zambia’s Commonwealth Video games bronze medallist Patrick Chinyemba is the other hard nut to crack in the flyweight berth. He bought a bye to the quarters and meets homeboy Antonio Alvaro with Kenya’s David “Sanchez” Karanja battling South Africa’s Sinovuyo Mtintelwa these days.
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