Infos Sports of Thursday, 8 October 2015
Source: cameroon-info.net
Rio 2016 (Boxing): Cameroon to host qualifications tournament
Cameroonian boxers
The political capital of Cameroon, Yaoundé, is set to host the 2016 African Boxing for the Olympic Games "Rio 2016" form March 9 to 20.
The official announcement was made on Thursday, 7 October 2015 by the President of the Cameroon Boxing Federation (Fecaboxe), Bertrand Magloire Mendounga, during a press briefing.
"Our country had been designated by the AIBA (International Amateur Boxing Association) at its Congress in August 2014. The candidature of Cameroon was preferred to that of heavyweights such as Morocco, Algeria, South Africa and Kenya,” said the President of Fecaboxe.
Once the choice was made, the country had to pay the sum of 63 million FCFA to the world body of boxing, before September 2014. After several incidents and threats of withdrawal from the tournament, Cameroon finally fulfilled this commitment in August 2015, one year after.
“It was not easy because we had to hustle. Fortunately, thanks to the head of state, the government paid this money,”revealed Bertrand Mendounga.
This is the third time the qualifying tournament for the Olympics will be held after 2008 and 2012. The first two editions were held respectively by Algeria and Morocco. Cameroon is thus the first sub-Saharan country to host the tournament.
“We will be ready, stadiums have been chosen including hotels. The Transport Committee have done its job. Our fear is the finances. But with the agreement of the president of the Republic and the contribution of all, we will meet this challenge,” said the President of the Fecaboxe.
This tournament which takes place in five months will bring together 35 African countries and the possibility for a hundred boxers to validate their tickets to Rio de Janeiro 2016. Mr. Mendounga also said that it is an opportunity for Cameroon to have the maximum number of boxers for Rio 2016. "We have four African smooth boxers. We will do everything to qualify with maximum boxers," he by promised announcing that intensive preparation will commence from November 2015.
