20 Feb 2020

 Botswana boxers are in Dakar Senegal to seek a place for the Tokyo 2020 Games in Japan.

The local pugilists will face tough opposition at the continental Olympic qualifying tournament billed for the state of the art Dakar International Expo Centre.

The African boxing Olympic qualification matches, which started yesterday will pit the local boxers against the tried and tested opponents from all corners of the continent.

The Botswana team under the watchful eye of former Olympian Lechedzani Luza will be represented by four men and three ladies as they seek to book a ticket to the summer games.

Prior to the Senegal trip, the Botswana team underwent intensive international training camps to shape up for the flagship continental bouts.

The team travelled to France, Hungary and lately Cuba for final preparations.

All hopes will be pinned on the likes of Rajab Mohammed in the men’s flyweight division.

Mohammed will be motivated to place an Olympic berth after he lost to book a ticket to the Rio 2016 games when he lost to Tunisian Montassar El Bouali.

Mmusi Tswiige will battle it out in the 69kg while Tefo Maitewa and Kabo Seitshiro will represent the country in the featherweight and lightweight respectively.

In the ladies division impressive University of Botswana boxing club sensation Lethabo Modukanele will battle in the flyweight.

Keamogetse Kenosi will also be trying her second luck after failing to inch past a Tunisian opponent in Cameroon for the Rio Games in 2016.

She has been pitted in the ladies featherweight while Modukanele’s club mate Aratwa Kasemang will fight in the 60kg.

Speaking in an interview from his base in Bahrain, former Olympic quarter finalist Khumiso Ikgopoleng said it was possible for the Botswana team to pull all the strings and book a place to Tokyo.

Ikgopoleng set the bar high for the local boxers by becoming the only boxer locally to have reached an Olympic quarterfinal at the Beijing 2008 Games.

He also was in charge of the Botswana team that took part in the last Olympic Games that the country has taken part in, the London 2012 Games.
Oteng Oteng lost in the preliminaries.

Ikgopoleng, who is currently overseeing the Bahrain boxing club in the Persian Gulf said the Olympic qualifiers were a different ball game and urged boxers to set their set on booking a ticket to Tokyo.

Botswana has in the past sent boxers to the Olympic Games among them Thato Batshegi, Luza, Ikgopoleng and Oteng.

Meanwhile, Botswana Boxing Association (BoBA) spokesperson Taolo Tlouetsile said the mood in the camp was high and the boxers were in good shape to take part in all the bouts.

On Monday there were reports of a suspected food poisoning as boxers experienced stomach upsets and vomiting.

Reports from Senegal was that the team was back in good form. ENDS