10 Boxers In Morocco For Africa Qualifiers

The 10 boxers that will represent the country at the Africa qualifiers for the 2012 London Olympic Games are  now in Casablanca, Morocco,  their coach, Anthony Konyegwachie has said.

The team, which include five males and five females boxers, left their camp in Benin on Thursday for Lagos from where they  traveled to Morocco for the competition which began at the weekend.

Konyegwachie told newsmen  in Benin that the team took off from the Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, to Casablanca.

He said the serene nature of the camp in Benin had helped the boxers to train adequately, and commended the government and people of Edo for their hospitality.

“The support from the Federal Government and Nigerians and the visit of five times World Boxing Champion, Evander Holyfield to us will spur the team to good performance in Casablanca,’’ Konyegwachie said..

The performance of the boxers at the championships will determine how many of them will represent Nigeria at the Olympics.

It will be recalled that 20 boxers and their trainers started camping in Benin for the tournament two months ago but 10 were decamped last week.

Holyfield, who was in Nigeria two weeks ago in his bid to trace his roots in Africa, paid a courtesy call on the Oba of Benin, Oba Erediauwa, and visited the boxers in their camp.