06 Jul 2021

Boxing team leaves tomorrow (July 7) for a preparatory camp in Russia ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due in two weeks.

The team had left for Russia on Monday, but was sent back at OR Tambo International Airport, South Africa for failure to produce an approval letter from Russian immigration permitting them to enter the country.

The team managed to secure the letter hence their new move.

The camp will end on July 17 and  follwing which the team would join Team Botswana in Japan on July 18.

The team is made up of two pugilists Keamogetse Kenosi and Rajab Mahommed and is accompanied by assistant coach, Chonga Ntoti and Boago Lentshaletse as their physical trainer.

Head coach Lechedzani Master Luza and manager Gilbert Khunwane would join the team later in Japan.

In an interview with BOPA before their departure, Ntoti indicated that the training camp was intended to prepare team for the Olympic Games, adding that they would have an opportunity to test players’ preparedness against other countries, which were also in Russia for training camps.

“Due to COVID-19, we have not had games with other countries as we would have liked, so this is our last opportunity to do that before the tournament,” he added.

The assistant coach explained that even though their preparations had been affected by COVID-19, he was happy with the team’s progress, adding that a training camp they had with Zambia assisted a lot.

He indicated that they were prepared to do their best at the Olympics and urged the nation to rally behind the team.  

Regarding players partaking in the Olympics for the first time, he said the players would not be intimidated because they had competed in big tournaments such as All Africa and the Commonwealth Games.

“They are going to face some of the boxers, whom they fought before,” he added.

Botswana Boxing Association public relations officer, Taolo Tlouetsile highlighted that the training camp was organised by International Boxing Federation.

He said after realising that African and American countries were not able to fully prepare their teams because of movement restrictions, the mother body saw it obligatory to had an international training camp.

“The boxing international body realised that the level of competition was going to be low at the Olympic Games hence the need for international training camp, countries were requested to show interest and we did,” he added.

Tlouetsile indicated that they had to choose between taking the team to Tokyo well in time for acclimatisation or attending training camp.

“We then realised that physical fitness and preparedness in general was more important than acclimatisation, but the team would have a few days before the games to get used to the weather,” he said.

Pertaining to their target at the Olympics, he said they just wanted their boxers to perform well.

“We would be happy to get medals but if our players perform well even without medals we would be happy,” he said. ENDS