Namibia to host Olympic qualifiers

NAMIBIA will host the second and final African boxing qualifying competition for the 2008 Olympic Games in March 2008.

This was said by the Namibian Amateur Boxing Federation president Kelly Nghixulifwa at a press conference this week. This followed a resolution taken by the world boxing amateur body AIBA at the recent AIBA World Boxing Championships in Chicago.The good news followed the disappointment of Namibian heavyweight boxer Tobias Munihango’s failure to participate at the World Championships due to administrative problems.Nghixulifwa accompanied Munihango and trainer Kenneth Muatara to the World Amateur Boxing Championships in Chicago where Munihango missed out on participating after some administrative setbacks.The NABF’s Secretary General, Joe Kaperu, explained that organisational problems in Chicago led to Munihango’s disqualification from the tournament.”Originally we were not going to participate, but the world amateur boxing body AIBA contacted us and asked us to send a representative.So we decided to enter Munihango.But most of the flights were already booked and we could only get a later flight.I called AIBA and told them the Namibian delegation was on its way and they promised to wait and accommodate us,” Kaperu said.Nghixulifwa said they arrived in time at Chicago, but they were held up at the airport and couldn’t get to the championships in time.”It was an absolute disaster.We were delayed at the airport and then there was no one there to pick us up.We didn’t know where the hotel was and then took a taxi which took us about 40 km to the hotel.Finally at the hotel we couldn’t find any of the organisers and when we finally made it to the championships they said we were too late to enter.I tried to see the president of AIBA but it was like trying to see the state president – it was impossible,” he said.Munihango said he was disappointed at not being allowed to participate, but was determined to qualify for the Olympics.Nghixulifwa said that the first African qualifying tournament would take place in Algeria in January while the tournament in Namibia would be the second and final qualifying tournament for the Olympics.www.namibiasport.com.naThis followed a resolution taken by the world boxing amateur body AIBA at the recent AIBA World Boxing Championships in Chicago.The good news followed the disappointment of Namibian heavyweight boxer Tobias Munihango’s failure to participate at the World Championships due to administrative problems.Nghixulifwa accompanied Munihango and trainer Kenneth Muatara to the World Amateur Boxing Championships in Chicago where Munihango missed out on participating after some administrative setbacks.The NABF’s Secretary General, Joe Kaperu, explained that organisational problems in Chicago led to Munihango’s disqualification from the tournament.”Originally we were not going to participate, but the world amateur boxing body AIBA contacted us and asked us to send a representative.So we decided to enter Munihango.But most of the flights were already booked and we could only get a later flight.I called AIBA and told them the Namibian delegation was on its way and they promised to wait and accommodate us,” Kaperu said.Nghixulifwa said they arrived in time at Chicago, but they were held up at the airport and couldn’t get to the championships in time.”It was an absolute disaster.We were delayed at the airport and then there was no one there to pick us up.We didn’t know where the hotel was and then took a taxi which took us about 40 km to the hotel.Finally at the hotel we couldn’t find any of the organisers and when we finally made it to the championships they said we were too late to enter.I tried to see the president of AIBA but it was like trying to see the state president – it was impossible,” he said.Munihango said he was disappointed at not being allowed to participate, but was determined to qualify for the Olympics.Nghixulifwa said that the first African qualifying tournament would take place in Algeria in January while the tournament in Namibia would be the second and final qualifying tournament for the Olympics.www.namibiasport.com.na