| Boxing camp returns to normal | Send to a friend |
| Saturday, 04 September 2010 20:33 |
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As the national boxing team was jeopardized by a recent boycott of the Champion of Champions bout, the pugilists are training punches to prepare for the Commonwealth Games set for October in India. The team's skipper, Joseph Martin, said yesterday that they have resumed after the Boxing Federation of Tanzania (BFT) promised to solve their complaints. "To be honest, all is well, no more complaints and we are now focusing on the Indian games", said Martin. The BFT secretary general, Makore Mashaga, said yesterday that the team had camped after some of their complaints were addressed. "We have already solved their grievances including paying their allowances", said Mashaga. Members of the team are undergoing training at the National Indoor Stadium in Dar es Salaam; with only one month to go before the games start. Tanzania will compete in athletics, boxing, table tennis, swimming and judo, depending on the qualifications of the players. For swimmers, this will be their first appearance in the games after participating in the previous Beijing Olympic Games, which saw Tanzania returning home without a medal. Tanzanian boxers did not feature in the Beijing games as the World’s governing boxing body, AIBA, suspended the BFT. The decision of the BFT membership ban came after the Tanzanian boxing team was implicated in a drug trafficking scandal in Mauritius, tarnishing the country’s image in the international boxing arena. After BFT regained its AIBA membership, the boxers are now muscling up for the Commonwealth Games. The ‘soap opera’ of boycotting the Champions of Champions tournament which brought together boxers from Kenya and Uganda, had distabilised the team's preparations and shake up BFT officials. The BFT president, Joan Minja, bemoaned sabotage without explaining who could be the perpetrators and what their motive was. She said BFT formed a six-man probe committee under Michael Changarawe, to establish what had triggered the boxers to shun the Champions of Champions bout, which took place at the DDC Mlimani Park in Dar es Salaam. As of yesterday, no boxer was punished in connection with the boycott. "We have all reported at a camp, none of us has so far been punished, but bygone is bygone, we are now focusing on the Indian games", said Martin. But according to Makore, BFT was yesterday expected to receive a probe report on the incident before taking any action. "We will work on the matter after we receive the report as the probe committee is yet to complete its inquiries,” he said. ENDs/edited Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites           |
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