Amateur boxer Tryagain Ndevelo will be leading the Namibian team to the Senegalese capital, Dakar, where they aim to earn slots for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
With 18 Olympic quota spots up for grabs the Paris 2024 Boxing Africa Olympic qualifier tournament will be held in Dakar, Senegal, from 9 to15 September 2023.
The Africa qualifier will see the different boxing categories in the men’s division exchange leather for one quota berth available in each of the seven classes, while two quota spots will be up for grabs in each women’s weight class apart from the 75 kilogramme, which only has one spot.
In an interview with Nampa yesterday, Team Manager Joseph Titus Muunda said they have a good group of boxers and are confident of winning slots for the country at the championships.
“We have trust in the team that we are travelling with. Try Again (Ndevelo) has been in the game for a while and has competed at the Commonwealth Games and African Games; therefore, we are hopeful of winning some slots,” he said.
He added that for the first time, Team Namibia will be accompanied by a female boxer who will be fighting in the 50kg category.
“Our team has prepared well, and we chose the right woman to represent the country. We hope she will give it her all and make the nation proud,” said Muunda, who added that they have an experienced coach that is accompanying the team and will help keep the athletes fit as well as focused for their fights.
The upcoming qualifiers are the second qualifier for Paris after June’s European Games, which saw 44 boxers obtain quota places for their National Olympic Committees (NOCs).
For boxers who fail to earn quota spots in Dakar, they will have further opportunities at the two world qualification tournaments in Busto Arzizio, Italy from 29 February to 12 March 2024 as well as Bangkok, Thailand from 23 May to 3 June 2024.
Namibia departed for Senegal yesterday afternoon for the Boxing Africa Olympic qualifier tournament with a team comprising of Tsamaseb Albertus head coach, Muunda (team manager) and the boxers are Johannes Trofimus (51kg), Tryagain Morning Ndevelo (57kg), and Ipinge Gerhard (80kg). The female boxer is Ndapandula Peyehafo, 50kg. -Nampa