Boxers’ Olympic hopes fade as BFT struggles for cash

Dar es Salaam. Tanzanian boxers earmarked for the African Boxing Championship are in suspense over their Olympic Games fate.

The BFT picked an 18-man team for the African Boxing Championship, which will start on Saturday in Yaounde, Cameroon.

However, with no financial support thus far, boxers’ hopes of representing the in the 2016 Rio Games will likely go up in smoke. BFT vice chairman Lukelo Wililo said yesterday that they were not sure of fielding the boxers at the Yaoundé tournament, which will determine who makes it to Brazil. “We still fall far short of the budget and not even the government seems to care. We want to send four boxers to Cameroon, but the money we have is not even enough to cater for one boxer,” he said.

“There are boxing enthusiasts who pledge to support us, so if they fulfill their pledges, we can send at least two boxer to the pre-Olympic qualifier.