16 Nov 2020

Botswana Boxing Association (BOBA) has called five boxers to camp in an effort to prepare for Olympic qualifiers.

The five are Rajab Mahommed, George Molwantwa, Tshephang Kapinga, Keamogetse Kenosi and Aratwa Kasemang.

BOBA spokesperson, Taolo Tloutsile, said in an interview that to date, only Kenosi had qualified for the Olympics.

He said they called Kenosi to camp so that she could continue with her preparations given that hopes were pinned on her to win Botswana a medal.

“The other four have been called so that they could fully prepare for the coming qualifiers,’ he said.

Tloutsile, however, said travel restrictions remained a primary challenge for the team since it was difficult for athletes to travel to other countries for either training or take part in competitions.

Currently, he said, the boxers were in camp so that the coaches could assess them before the qualifiers.

Tloutsile said the situation was made worse by the fact that the pandemic had stalled commencement of local tournamentsw due to movement protocols. 

Even if they were to organise a boxing tournament in Gaborone, Tlouetsile said it was going to be difficult for clubs outside greater Gaborone to be part of such a tourney.

“So as it is, we still have a challenge as how to start our game, but the qualifiers are next year in May, so generally I think the athletes will be in a better position to compete and qualify for the Olympics,” he said.

According to Tlouetsile, Botswana did not have high performance centres, so athletes depended on coaches to work on their fitness level.

“The idea is to keep our athletes fit, so I am confident that once competitions start, our boxers will be fit, both mentally and physically,” he said. Ends