BOBA TO LAUNCH ZONE IV BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP
BY:Kabelo Seleka
GABORONE:The host nation of AFBC Zone IV Boxing Championship 2019 Botswana through Botswana Boxing Association (BOBA),will next week Tuesday 9th of April launch the Local Organizing committee(LOC) and team Botswana.
Botswana has been granted permission to host the lucrative regional tourney from the 23rd to the 28th April.
Twelve boxing nations are expected to compete at this year’s punch festival.
The tournament gold and silver medal winners according to Botswana National Olympic Committee will gain automatic qualification to the Africa Championship to be held in Morocco towards year end.
The tournament will be hosted at Botho University where the launch will also take place at 10 am.
At the launch, UB/Tsholofelo Boxing Club boss France Mabiletsa is expected to be unveiled as the chairman of the LOC.
Mabiletsa is the reigning BOBA administrator of the year and his club has been recognized for being BOBA’s affiliate of the year in last year`s Debswana Boxing Awards.
Team Botswana led by the captaincy of 69kg Mmusi Tswiige is said to be officially launched to the media and the public.
The team currently is made up of ten elite men and women. Two women are the sensational female boxer of the year, Aratwa Kaseemang and Gaborone Youth Games 2014 wonder kid Keamogetswe Kenosi.
Botswana’s number one boxer Rajab Mohammed is also in the squad with the light welterweight king Treasure Moremi also making a cut in the provisional squad.
The final selection in the 64 kg between Kabo Seitshiro and Pitso Mmopiemang is only known to the National team coaches.
The Lechezhani Master Luza’s team is also to choose between George Molwantwa and Tefo Maitewa in the 56kg for the final squad. Possibly even in the two ladies on duty one may have to be selected for the final team.
Elsewhere, Glen Valley Boxing Club will be hosting the 6th BOBA interclub of the year in Gaborone at Glen Valley BDF Gym.
Following a failure by Gantsi Boxing club to honor their turn to host the previous interclub due to financial constraints Glen Valley will be optimistic not to disappoint.
Glen Valley had in the past horribly hosted the interclub where lights and ventilation were in question. This move was said to be a sabotage to BOBA because of the said friction between the then suspended Vice President Dirang Thipe and President Dr Thato Patlakwe.
The 2016 Zone IV championship champions Botswana, missed the 2017 edition held in Angola due to budget cuts by Botswana National Sports Commission(BNSC).
The defending champions of Zone IV boxing championship is Mozambique heading into this year`s edition.
