Oteng makes Olympics cut

FREDERICK KEBADIRETSE
Staff Writer | Thursday May 3, 2012 00:00

 

Boxing star, Oteng Oteng emerged the only boxer to qualify for the London 2012 Olympics following a dismal performance by his team-mates at the Africa Boxing qualifiers currently underway in Morocco. The 22-year old flyweight boxer proved why he was named sportsman of the year at the recent Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) awards by defeating an Egyptian opponent on Labour Day to progress to the semi-finals of the qualifiers.

He will now face Algerian Brahim today, but he has already qualified for the global showpiece by reaching the semi finals, which guarantees him at least a bronze medal. The two met before in the Africa Boxing Championship in Cameroon last year and the Algerian won the bout.

Oteng brings to five the number of athletes to have qualified for the Olympics with barely two months before the games start at Wembley. He joins reigning 400 metre-world women champion Amantle Montsho, Pako Seribe, Isaac Makwala and Nigel Amos. Meanwhile it was a sad story for the other four boxers in Casablanca as they crashed out in the preliminary stages. The quartet of Bathusi Mogajane, Mmoloki Nogeng, Gomotsang Gaasite and Tefo Letshikgwana lost their preliminary bouts. This is despite the team having had an intense preparation programme that took them to three camps in Mauritius, France and Morocco.

The Botswana Boxing Association (BoBA) had wanted to send at least three boxers to the Olympics, but their hopes are now dashed and will now keep fingers crossed they send at least one more boxer through the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) wild cards. The BNOC deadline for Olympic qualifiers is only a week away, but Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tuelo Serufho had hinted that they would be willing to sponsor more athletes if an opportunity to qualify arises after the deadline. BNOC set a target to send 20 athletes to the games. On the local scene, the sixth national interclub boxing tournament will take place in Jwaneng over the weekend. Dinotshe Boxing Club will host the tournament that is part of a series used to qualify for the Keone Mooka Mageu National Championships.