Four Nigerian boxers have been guaranteed at least bronze medals and would be five thousand dollars (four million naira) richer by reaching the semi-finals of the AFBC African Boxing Championships in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Patricia Mbata will slug it out with South Africa’s Sithole Muriel at the centre ring at the Yaoundé Multipurpose Sports Complex for a place in tomorrow’s Women’s middleweight final and the grand prize of 15,000 dollars (about 12 million naira).
Also fighting for a place in the finals tomorrow, Dolapo Omole will hope to get the better of Mujinga Frazier of Congo Democratic Republic when the two meet for the second men’s featherweight semi-finals.
Oyesiji Adeola (Women’s light Flyweight) and Olaore Adams (Men’s heavyweight) were the other boxer that booked their place in the semi-finals of the tournament which gold medallists will get 15,000 dollars, the silver medallists – 10,000 dollars, and the bronze – five thousand dollars.
The battle for supremacy is between hosts Cameroon, Morocco, and defending champions Algeria who upstaged Mozambique last year, finishing tops with 41 points followed by Mozambique, Zambia and Morocco in fourth position. Cameroon and DR Congo finished fifth place each with two gold, three silver, and four bronze medals.
Meanwhile, Team Nigeria head coach, Tony Konyegwachie, revealed a nose injury in the round of 16 fight against Kenya’s Anthony Maina , forced Ige Ridwan from honouring his light-welterweight quarter-finals against Congo’s Dzalamou Malonga.
“He has not recovered from the nose injury, I suspect it was an accidental head butt,” Konyegwachie said.”The was taken for surgery last night, he’s okay and in high spirits but he will not be in the ring. His Congo opponent will get a walkover.”
However, Ridwan is assured of earning 1,250 dollars prize money for the four losing quarter-finalists in Yaoundé.