BFT names provisional squad for African Boxing Championships

BFT chairman Lukelo Willilo named the boxers forming the men’s team as Yusuf Changalawe, Alex Sita, Hassan Mrutu, Joseph Philip, lankunda Daniel, Mwarami, Victor Njile and Petro Joseph.

The women’s team, according to Willilo, has Leila Yazidu, Rahma Maganga and Beatrice Nyambega.

However, the boxers will be screened to eight who will travel to Younde ahead of the championships. The screening bouts will take place on July 1 and 2 in Dar es Salaam.

“I call on the boxers to undergo training ahead of the screening bouts. Our aim is to see we get top boxers, who will bring medals from the African Championships,” said Wilillo.

The event has been organised by the African Boxing Confederation (AFBC) and it was earlier scheduled to start from June 13 to 23 but had to be postponed due to unavoidable reasons.

According to a statement issued by AFBC secretary general André Basile Kalong, other countries are the DR Congo, Comoros, Egypt, Seychelles, Morocco, Algeria, Mozambique, Uganda, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Also, the list has Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Mauritius, Chad, Zambia, Burundi, Somalia, Senegal, Eswatini, Guinea, Congo Brazzaville, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi and the hosts, Cameroon.

Boxers from the countries will contest in various weight divisions, according to the rules and regulations.

Last year, the championships were held in Maputo, Mozambique and brought together 179 boxers (58 women and 121 men) from 24 countries.

The AFBC has a total of 50 member countries affiliated to the African body.

Meanwhile, AFBC president Bertrand Mendouga has said boxers who will win medals will have their “prize money” doubled to reach the total of $1 million.

Africa’s amateur boxing boss made the announcement in the presence of Umar Kremlev, president of the International Boxing Association (IBA).