Inter-club tourney kicks-off boxing season

FREDERICK KEBADIRETSE
Staff Writer | Friday January 29, 2010 00:00

 

Botswana Boxing Association (BoBA) development officer, Healer Modiradilo has said the tourney is meant to get boxers ready for a busy year. Next month, the Best of the Best, which features the country's cream of boxing takes place in Jwaneng.

Modiradilo said that for tomorrow's tournament they have invited all boxing clubs and they are expecting a high number of boxers to take part. BoBA has said inter-club tournaments will be held monthly in various parts of the country.

The second leg of the Best of the Best tournament will be held towards the end of the year.

Modiradilo said the Jwaneng edition will be the last to be held at the beginning of the year as they have decided to move the tournament to the end of the year. The national championship will start in October with the finals scheduled for November.

As part of BoBA's development programme, Modiradilo said the number of youth tournaments and training camps will be increased. 'In the past, we have been relying on BISA tournaments to unearth talent.

This year, we have decided to strengthen our youth programmes, give them more competitions because that is the only way through which they (young boxers) can grow,' he said. BoBA says it will continue conducting refresher courses for coaches, administrators, referees and judges. In addition, some officials will be sent for courses organised by the Association of International Boxing Association (AIBA).

Modiradilo said BoBA would send boxers to the Commonwealth Championships and Games both to be held in New Delhi in March and October respectively. As part of preparations for the Commonwealth Games, the Botswana team will be sent for training camps in Cuba and France.

The association intends to keep the same team that participated in the Africa Boxing Championships in Mauritius and the World Championships in Italy last year.
One of the boxers, Oteng Oteng is part of the AIBA 'Road to 2012' programme which helps young promising boxers to prepare for the London 2012 Olympic Games.