🇫🇷 Countdown to 2024 Paris Olympic Games, July 27- August 10
NIGERIAN BOXING TEAM CAMP IN GERMANY AHEAD OF THE GAMES
▪️ Coach Adura to handle Olympics team as Omole remains in Lagos for knee treatment
Nigeria’s boxers for the Paris Olympics have pitched camp in Saarland, a forested southwestern German state bordered by France and Luxembourg.
The team is under US-based coach Adura Olalehin, a former international boxer who won a silver medal in the light-heavyweight berth at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. The southpaw Adura deputised national coach Tony Konyegwachie at the African Games in Accra, Ghana, and the Africa Olympic qualifiers in Dakar, Senegal. Konyegwachie, who guided Nigeria to their historic win in the Accra Games, will not be in Paris.
The two boxers in Germany with Adura are African Games champions, lightweight Cynthia Ogunsemilore and heavyweight Adam Olaore while African Games featherweight gold medallist Dolapo Omole remained behind in Lagos for his left knee treatment.
“I’m relying on divine intervention to make it to Paris,” Omole told me in a phone chat from Lagos.
“The knee problem started when I was six years old, it got worse during the African Games in Accra but I’m sure I’ll be okay to link up with my teammates before they leave for Paris.”
Adura was impressed by Ongumsemilore’s performance in today’s sparring session against a German boxer at Saarland Sports Campus.
“She did very well in the sparring, God-willing Cynthia will become Nigeria’s first female boxer to win an Olympic medal possible gold,” said Adura who is sharing his southpaw skills to Ogunsemilore who is also a southpaw.
Among other Paris-bound teams training at Saarland Sports Campus are Denmark, Philippines, India and Ireland.
📸 _Coach Adura Olalehin (left) and lightweight Cynthia Ogunsemilore whom Adura has tipped to become Nigeria’s first ever female boxer to win an Olympic medal in Paris
✍🏼 AFBC Communications