Boxing team start preps for 2017 African Championships

Rwanda Amateur Boxing Association (RABA) will send pugilists to the African Confederation Boxing Championships (AFBC), scheduled from May 27 to June 4 in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. RABA president, Vicky Kalisa, revealed that they had two options, either to send the boxers for the East African Games in Uganda or the African Confederation Boxing Championship in Congo. “After weighing our options, we have decided to prepare the boxers for the African championship because it acts as the qualifier for World Boxing Championships in Germany, which will also be a qualifier to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games,” he said. Kalisa added, “A team of 15 boxers have already begun training, but we shall cut the number down to six, given the available resources.” In the last edition hosted by Morocco two years ago, Rwanda did not participate. Rwanda last competed at a continental event back in May 2014 when Jean Pierre Cyiza took part in the All Africa Youth Games held in Botswana, bringing home Rwanda’s first medal (bronze) in boxing. Meanwhile, the German city of Hamburg is preparing to host the 19th AIBA Boxing Championships for the first time. Qualification for Hamburg comes in the form of the AIBA Continental Championships to be held between May and June. The road to Hamburg begins in the Uzbekistan capital of Tashkent, with the ASBC Asian Championships running from April 30 to May 7 before Congo Brazzaville hosts the AFBC African Championships next month. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Boxing team start preps for 2017 African Championships