Ethiopia’s three medallists in the African Games in Accra are among the 11 boxers – four women and seven men – selected for the inaugural Mandela African Boxing Cup tournament in Durban, South Africa, from April 15-21.
Addis Police Boxing Club, with five boxers, form the bulk of the team which also has five boxers who will make their international debut in South Africa’s beautiful coastal city of Durban.
Sensational flyweight Bethlehem Gayiza (pictured), welterweight Betel Wolde and middleweight Meteku are the three African Games medallists Ethiopia is heavily banking on to excel in this tournament that has so far attracted 300 boxers from 41 countries including guest team Afghanistan.
Gayiza and Wolde, who was making her international debut in Accra, won gold medals with Temesgen bagging bronze to enable the Horn of Africa country finish an impressive seventh overall position.
All the four women in Ethiopia’s team including Temesgen are members of Addis Police Boxing Club.
The five pugilists to make their debut in Durban are female lightweight Million Chofe, bantamweight Surafele Aleyu, featherweight Abdusalem Abubker, lightweight Abubker Sefan and welterweight Ermiyas Mesifen.
Ethiopia’s team for Durban extravaganza:
Women
– 52 kg: Bethlehem Gayiza
– 54 kg: Roman Assefa
– 60 kg: Million Chofe
– 66 kg: Betel Wolde
Men
– 51 kg: Fetewi Tumaye
– 54 kg: Surafele Alayu
– 57 kg: Abduselam Abubker
– 60 kg:Abubker sefan
– 63.5 kg: Abreham Alem
– 67 kg: Ermiyas Mesifen
– 75 kg: Temesgen Meteku
Coaches
– Tewodrose Tilahun
– Efrem Negash
Credit: AFBC Communications
