As the country’s contingent to African Olympic boxing qualifiers jetted out to Senegal to participate in the championship, National Boxing Coach, Tony Konyegwachie has expressed confidence that his boxers will do the country proud in Dakar.
Team Nigeria comprising of six female and three male boxers on Wednesday departed Murtala Mohammed International Airport for Dakar, Senegal for the Paris 2024 Olympic qualifiers holding from September 9- 15, 2023 with Konyegwachie informing reporters that his fighters were well prepared for the challenge.
” We’ve been in camp for some time now with the boxers undergoing vigorous training and with what I saw in camp, they’re physically, mentally and psychologically prepared for the qualifiers.
” You’re aware that Nigeria did not present any boxer at the last Olympics because we couldn’t participate in the qualifying series and because of this we’re not going to give anything to chance to ensure we qualify our fighters to the biggest sporting event in the world”, he assured.
He was also full of praise to the President of Nigeria Boxing Federation Lt Gen Kenneth Mininah ( rtd) for ensuring that the country was part of the African qualifiers just as he assured him that they won’t disappoint.
Meanwhile, the final list of boxers that made the team released by the Nigeria Boxing Federation indicates that the male boxers are: Omole Dolapo (57KG) Featherweight, Fatai Moshood (71KG) Welterweight and Olaore Adams who is based in the United Kingdom will fight in Heavyweight (92KG).
The female boxers are Oyesiji Adeola, (50KG) Light-flyweight, Adesina Zainab (54KG) Bantamweight and Ojo Joy (57KG) Featherweight.
Others are Cynthia Ogunsemilore (60KG) Lightweight, Danilola Shodipe (66KG) Welterweight and Patricia Mbata based in the United Kingdom who will be fighting in (75KG) Middleweight.