Hesron Kapanga
Namibian amateur boxers Tryagain Ndevelo and Gerald Ipinge are on a course of qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics after reaching the quarterfinals of their respective divisions at the 2023 Boxing Africa Qualifier.
The continental qualifying event for the 2024 Paris Olympics is underway in Dakar, Senegal, with only 18 Olympic quotas at stake.
Only seven quotas are available in the seven different weight classes in the men’s category while two quotas are up for grabs in the women weight classes.
The championships which kicked off on 9 September 2023 at the Dakar Arena saw three of the four boxers representing Namibia getting byes in the first round of the champions.
Namibia’s 57kg boxer Ndevelo got a bye to the round of 32 and managed to eliminate his opponent Mwengo Mwale of Zambia with four of the five judges scoring in his favour.
His teammate Ipinge competing in the 80kg category also progresses to the next round after defeating Pita Kabeji Peter of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the round of 32 with four judges scoring in his favour. Then in the round of 16 Ipinge outclassed Emmanuel Nzewi of Cape Verde with all five judges scoring in his favour.
The Namibian boxers are expected to step in the ring on Wednesday to compete for a spot in the semi-finals of the championships.
Meanwhile, Namibia’s first female representative at an international championship Ndapandula Peyehafo who competed in the women’s 50kg category was eliminated in the round of 32 after getting a bye in the round of 64.
Peyehafo found the going tough in her first international fight as she was eliminated from the competition with a first-round stoppage by Roumaysa Boualam of Algeria.
Another Namibian boxer Trofimus Tuuyeni Johannes who also got a bye to the round of 16 found the going tough with only two judges scoring in his favour while the other three scored in his opponent David Karanja of Kenya’s favour.
Only the gold winners at the Africa qualifier will automatically qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.