🇹🇭 Countdown to 2nd World Olympic Qualification Tournament in Thailand, May 24-June 2
NIGERIA’S ELIZABETH OSHOBA BACK IN THE TEAM FOR 2nd OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS
▫️ She last represented the national boxing team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games
Elizabeth “Hurricane” Oshoba, the reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) silver featherweight champion, is back in Nigeria’s national team.
Oshoba (pictured) is among the six boxers – five women and one male – picked by the Nigeria Boxing Federation for the 2nd World Olympic Qualification tournament scheduled for Bangkok, Thailand, from May 24 to June 2 at the Indoor Stadium.
The secretary-general of NBF, Dapo Akinyele, said they have selected more women on merit following their impressive performance in major international competitions.
“Our women did very well in the 2022 Commonwealth Games and in the Africa Games, In Accra five out of the eight gold medals came from our female boxers,” said Akinyele.
The only male boxer in the team is African Games super-heavyweight champion Ifeanyi Onyekwere who also won bronze at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
The others are female boxers, Patricia Mbata and Blessing Oraekwe, both gold medallists in Accra and silver medallists, Zainab Adesina and Shukurat Kareem.
An elated Oshoba (7-0-0, 4 KOs) said she is so happy to be back in the national team since 2022 when she won silver in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, losing to Ireland’s Michaela Walsh in the finals.
“I feel good to represent my country again, I’m confident I’ll qualify for the Olympics,” Oshoba told me in a telephone interview from her base in Bristol, England.
“It’s been my dream to win an Olympic gold medal.In the Tokyo Olympic qualifiers in Dakar I made the team but we didn’t take part, it was sad having worked so hard to be in the team only to be told we’re not going to Senegal for qualifiers.”
Oshoba turned professional after the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and is so far unbeaten in seven fights. In January this year she clinched WBC featherweight silver title by knocking out Italy’s Michela Braga in the 10th round at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark.
“As for my preparations for the qualifiers, I’ll prefer to train in Bristol and link up with the rest of the team in Thailand,” said the 24-year-old Oshoba from Ogun State in Western Nigeria.
On why she has been yearning to take part in the Olympic Games, Oshoba says:”It’s the dream of every serious boxer and those from other sports to participate in the Olympics, even if you don’t win a medal just to be an Olympian is enough.”
At stake in Thailand is 51 remaining quota places – 23 for women and 28 for men – to be competed for in the one-week tournament.
In the 1st World Olympic Qualification tournament held early this year in Busto Arsizio, Italy, 49 quota places – 21 for women and 28 for men – were up for grabs. None of the 68 boxers from Africa qualified.
Three Nigerian boxers, featherweight Dolapo Omole, lightweight Cynthia Ogunsemilore and heavyweight Adams Olaore, have already booked their tickets for the Paris Olympics. They are among the 18 African boxers who made it to Paris during last year’s continental qualifiers in Dakar, Senegal.
If African boxers again fail to qualify in the Thailand tournament, it means Africa will be represented by only 18 boxers in the Paris Olympics unless the lucky ones gain places through the nine Universality places (five for women and four for men) to be made available to eligible NOCs . They were supposed to submit their requests between October 1, 2023 to January 15, 2024. Those who make it will be known on June 7 this year.
The Nigeria team for the 2nd World Olympics Qualification tournament in Thailand:
Flyweght Zainab Adesina
Bantamweight Shukurat Kareem
Featherweight Elizabeth Oshoba
Welterweight Blessing Oraekwe
Middleweight Patricia Mbata
Super-heavyweight Ifeanyi Onyekwere
The 13 weight classes to feature at the Paris Olympics:
MALE
Flyweight (51kg)
Featherweight (57kg)
Light Welterweight (63.5kg)
Light middleweight (71kg)
Light heavyweight (80kg)
Heavyweight (92kg)
Super heavyweight (+92kg)
FEMALE
Flyweight (50kg)
Bantamweight (54kg)
Featherweight (57kg)
Lightweight (60kg)
Welterweight (66kg)
Middleweight (75kg)
✍🏼 AFBC Communication