🇬🇭 Countdown to the African Games in Accra, Ghana, March 8-23
AFRICAN GAMES: STAR-STUDDED NIGERIA TEAM READY TO ROCK ACCRA
All three Olympic Games qualifiers named in the team of 11 boxers Injury rules out WBC silver champ Elizabeth Oshoba
Nigeria’s team of 11 boxers – seven women and four men – for next month’s African Games in Accra has finally been selected.
The team includes all the three boxers who have qualified for the Paris Olympics and the longest serving international, Commonwealth Games middleweight bronze medallist Jacinta Umunnakwe who has moved up to light-heavyweight.
The bad news for Nigeria’s avid boxing fans is that Commonwealth Games featherweight silver medallist and the World Boxing Council (WBC) silver title holder Elizabeth “Hurricane” Oshoba will not be in Accra.
A bronze medallist at the 2019 African Games in Rabat where she lost in the semis to Botswana’s Keamogetse Kenosi, Oshoba had accepted to be included in the team but an injury she sustained in a training session in London has ruled her out of the Games.
“I’m very disappointed, I was really looking forward to represent my country in the African Games,” Oshoba told me last night in a phone chat.
National coach Tony Konyegawachie was equally disappointed following the injury that has knocked out Oshoba from the team.
“Oshoba was in my team but I’ve had to remove her because of the injury,” said Konyegawachie when he released the names of the 11 boxers who will represent the populous West African country in Accra.
The team includes the three Paris Olympics qualifiers, Africa featherweight bronze medallist Dolapo Omole, Africa heavyweight champion Adams Olaore and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Cynthia Ogunsemilore. Africa middleweight silver medallist Patricia Mbata, one of Nigeria’s medal hopefuls, is also in the team.
Coach Konyagawachie’s team includes three newcomers, vastly improved female bantamweight Sukurah Kareem, light-middleweight Blessing Oraekwe and light-middleweight Yakubu Ibrahim all of whom will be making their international debut in Accra.
“We have selected the best boxers in the land. The rest we leave it to God to guide us,” said Konyegawachie who was in Nigeria’s team for the 1987 African Games in Nairobi but didn’t participate because he was overweight.
The 11 boxers selected for the African Games:
Men
Featherweight: Dolapo Omole
Light-middleweight: Yakub Ibrahim
Heavyweight: Adams Olaore
Super-heavyweight: Ifeanyi Onyekwere
Women
Flyweight: Zainab Adeshina
Bantamweight: Sukurah Kareem
Featherweight: Joy Ojo
Lightweight: Cynthia Ogunsemillore
Light-middleweight: Blessing Oraekwe
Middleweight: Patricia Mbata
Light-heavyweight: Jacinta Umunnakwe
One of Nigeria’s red-hot favourite for a gold medal Cynthia Ogunsemilore is excited to be in the team for the Accra Games.
“This is my first time I’m taking part in the Games, I assure Nigerian fans I’ll win a gold medal,” the stylish and talented Ogunsemilore told AFBC Communications in an interview, singling out Algeria’s Africa lightweight champion Hadjila Khelif as her main challenger in Accra. The two met in the finals of the Africa Olympic qualifiers in Dakar last year with Ogun outpointing the Algerian boxer.
“She’s a very good defensive boxer and gave me a hard time in our fight but whatever happens the gold is mine, I’m the best in Africa,” said Ogunsemilore.
Heavyweight Olaore too is aiming for nothing short of a gold medal in Accra.
In an interview with Olaore from his Newcastle base, he said: “I will be winning gold, it is all I come for and I hope to continue to achieve.”
Olaore said he could not single out any particular heavyweight as a threat to his gold medal hopes
“There are many tough boxers in Africa, I cannot pick one over the rest.
I promise good exciting fights and great success.”
Nigeria remains one of the most successful countries in the African Games boxing tournament.
They have twice won the overall team title in 1973 and 2003. On overall medals won since the inception of the African Games in 1965, Nigeria is second behind Algeria with 19 gold, 18 silver and 14 bronze medals. In the 2019 Games in Rabat, Nigeria placed fifth with one gold, one silver and five bronze medals.
📸Nigeria’s stylish and crafty lightweight Cynthia Ogunsemilore (left) battles Algeria’s Hadjila Khelif in the finals of last year’s Africa Olympic qualifiers in Dakar. Cynthia won on points.
✍🏼 AFBC Communications