Tanzania’s top boxers, Commonwealth Games light-heavyweight bronze medallist Yusuf Changalawe and Africa light-middleweight silver medallist Grace Mwakamele (pictured left in action), are among the 28 boxers selected by the Boxing Federation of Tanzania (BFT) to start preparations for the Olympic qualifiers and the African Games in Accra, Ghana, in March this year.
Seven coaches have been named to handle the 28 boxers comprising
18 men and 10 women.
Changalawe, Mwakamele and flyweight Zulfa Macho, who is also in the team, represented Tanzania in last year’s Africa Championships in Yaounde, Cameroon, with Changalawe winning bronze in the cruiserweight division while Mwakamele made history as Tanzania’s first ever female medallist in the Africa Championships. She powered her to the finals and lost to the defending champion Alicinda Dos Santos of Mozambique who stopped the Tanzanian soldier in the first round of their light-middleweight bout.
“The 28 boxers will further be cut down when they’ll take part in the trials at the end of this month to select the final team for the Olympic qualifiers and the African Games,” said BFT secretary-general Makore Mashaga who announced the provisional team of 28 boxers.The two world Olympic qualifiers will take place in Italy and Thailand.
Tanzania has yet to win a medal at the Olympic Games boxing tournament.
The 28 boxers selected are as follows:
Men:
Minimumweight: Abdulrazaq Hamisi Salum
Flyweight Abdallah Mohammed Abdallah
Bantamweight: Azizi Waziri Chala
Featherweight: Mwalami Salum Mohammed and John Dominic Donard
Lightweight: Hassan Hindu Mrutu and Shaibu Jafari Baruti
Light-welterweight King Lucas Majobanga
Welterweight: Abdallah Mfaume Nachoka and Elias Damson
Light-middleweight: Joseph Philipo Kasi
Middleweight: Alphonce Abel and Daniel Nkundabanyanka
Light-heavyweight:
Yusuf Changalawe
Cruiserweight: Mussa Wambura Malegesi
Heavyweight: Matonyinga Fidelisi Kasala and Mhina Morris Richard
Super-heavyweight: Alex Sita Mpini
Women:
Minimumweight: Miriam Richard Maligisa, Seraphina James Fussi and Umukuruthum Athumani Mkumbi
Flyweight: Zulfa Macho and Aisha Iddi Hamisi
Bantamweight: Latifa Said Uloki
Featherweight: Vumilia Twalibu Kalinga
Lightweight: Leila Omary Yazidu and Beatrice Nyambega
Light-middleweight: Grace Mwakamele
Coaches:
Head coach Samuel Batman Kapungu (IBA 1 Star)
Rogate Damiani Ulaya (IBA 1 Star)
Michael Changarawe
Hassan Mzonge Mraba
Maneno Omary Msimimilwa
Kassim Hussein Kassim
Officials:
Team Manager: Makore Mashaga
Patron: Ruger Joseph Kahwa
Doctor: Maira Mussa Magolima
Credit: AFBC Communications
