Pugilists in Baku for Aiba training camp

TWO of Rwanda’s upcoming boxers Aziz Matusi (light fly) and Peter Habyarimana (bantam weight) are in Azerbaijan for a one-week training camp ahead of the AIBA World Youth Boxing Championship to be held in the country’s capital, Baku from April 23-May 1. The training camp which starts today has been dubbed ‘the road to Baku’ and is expected to attract pugilists from over 105 countries. The camp is a development initiative funded by the AIBA Grant Program which means that travel and accommodation expenses for boxers and coaches during the training camp and the World Championships are footed by AIBA. Matusi and Habyarimana will be joined by Olivier Shingiro (fly weight, 51kg) and Gashugi Kananura (head coach) later this week. The championship which is expected to attract over 532 boxers is also a qualifier for the inaugural Singapore Youth Olympic Games scheduled for later this year. While there was no African representatives at the 2007 World Youth Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico, 19 countries from the continent are in contention this year. Africa’s quest is led by Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Seychelles, Tunisia, Benin, Ethiopia, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, South Africa, Mauritius, Niger, Rwanda, Botswana, Cameroon, and Zambia. Ends

Sports

Pugilists in Baku for Aiba training camp