Stylish Ivanusa Moreira of Cape Verde (pictured) is one of the big names to grace the Africa Elite Boxing Championships next month in Africa’s music capital, DR Congo.
Moreira, the reigning Africa welterweight champion, is currently training at Gentleman & Ali Boxing Club in Porto, Portugal under her coach and hubby, Jorge Silva.
“I am focused on my training, preparing for the best boxing I can get. I don’t think about my opponents,” Moreira said in a phone chat from Porto responding to a question on the opponents she thinks will be a stumbling block in her title defence.
The main battle in the welterweight division will be between Moreira and DR Congo’s Mandela African Cup champion, Brigitte Mbabi who has defeated Moreira twice so far.
On whether there’s any rivalry and bad blood between them, Moreira said: “Myself and Brigitte have become very good friends, she is such a nice girl but in the ring, let the best woman win.”
Moreira won a gold medal in last year’s Africa Elite Championships in Yaounde, outpointing Morocco’s Bel Ahbib Oumayma in the finals after seeing off Uganda’s footballer-turned- boxer, Emily Nakalema in the semi-finals.
The Cape Verde’s face of women’s boxing single handedly enabled her country to finish in the eighth position in Yaounde ahead of some teams which had over five boxers.
At this year’s Paris Olympics, Moreira was unlucky to have been a victim of questionable officiating, losing on points to Belgium’s Onisha Derieuw in the round of 16.
“It’s just unbelievable judges can be so unprofessional, I’m bitter and feel wasted,” said a furious Moreira on the decision.
“Some of us African boxers are being robbed here in Paris, we win but the judges deny us victory.”
Credit: AFBC Communications
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