Rwandan boxer off to Armenia for Junior World Championships

Rwandan boxer Valentin Ntabangayimana and his coach Jean Claude Gatorano on Wednesday night left for Armenia ahead of the forthcoming 2023 AIBA Junior World Championships scheduled from November 23 to December 4. The 20-year old flyweight (51kg), who belongs to Kudos Boxing Club, will be Rwanda's sole representative at the Championships which will attract 448 young talents from 58 countries. The two-week long tournament will be hosted at the MIKA Sports Arena in the Armenian capital Yerevan. Speaking to Times Sport, before his trip, the boxer’s coach Gatorano, said, we are going there to win, we must make our country proud. This is a World Championship, and we want to make sure Rwanda's flag flies high. We have had good preparations, thanks to the (boxing) federation, the ministry (of sports) and the national Olympics committee. I am confident we shall come back home with a medal, noted the former national team boxer. Ntabangayimana, in the company of his family members, including his mother, was in jovial mood and believes he has a good chance to go all the way to the medal bracket. His mother, Francine Mugarukire said, I am very proud of my son, for he is going to represent his country and I am praying for him do well. Many parents don't allow their children to take up this sport (boxing), which they associate with bandits and failures, but I have never seen my son involved in any form of indiscipline because he's a boxer. He has my full support, the mother added. It is Rwanda's first international outing since competing at the Tanzania's Bingwa Wamabingwa tournament in 2018. According to Rwanda Boxing Federation president Vic Kalisa, The IBA Junior World Boxing Championships represents more than just a competition; it is a celebration of young talent and the future of our sport. The championship promises to be a showcase of budding talents and a testament to the growing popularity and importance of junior boxing on the global stage, Kalisa noted. The official draw is scheduled on Thursday, November 23, along with the opening ceremony, competitions up to quarter-finals will be held between November 24-30. Semi-finals will take place on December 2, and finals are set for December 3-4.