ITALY: Tanzania’s boxer, Yusuf Changalawe, is set to begin the Paris 2024 Olympic Qualifier today as he faces boxer Pereira Diego from Venezuela in a light heavyweight category.
Changalawe is scheduled to enter the ring tonight at 10:00 pm (EAT). To qualify for the Olympics, Changalawe needs to win four fights. The qualifying campaign started on Sunday in Busto Arsizio, Italy.
Changalawe will fight on the Blue side while his opponent will be on the Red side. He is accompanied by his coach, Mohamed Abubakari, and an official from the Tanzania Olympic Committee, Henry Tandau.
A total of 602 players from the National Olympic Committees of 113 countries are participating in the competition, competing for 49 places in 13 different weight categories.
There are 28 places for men and 21 for women, with each weight category having four places except for the 57kg women’s weight category, which has two positions, and the 60kg women’s weight category, which has three positions.
68 players from 19 African countries, including Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, DR Congo, Ghana, Cameroon, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Guinea Bissau, Mauritius, Cape Verde, Togo, Lesotho, Seychelles, Namibia, Angola and Ethiopia, represent the African continent in the competition.
Yesterday, in the opening round, two Africans managed to win and enter the top 32 stage.
David Pina (Cape Verde) defeated the bronze medalist of the World Championship, Martin Molina (Spain), by 3-2 points, and Theophilus Allotey (Ghana) won 5-0 against Tu Po-Wei from China – Taipei.
Meanwhile, Christine Ongare (Kenya), Shafik Mawanda (Uganda), Destiny Idugboe (Nigeria), Cheymae Rhaddi, and Mohamed Firisse (Morocco) lost their matches.
The second and final World Olympic qualifying competition will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from May 26 – June 2, 2024.
