BOXERS WITHOUT GLOVES!

Sierra Leone Boxing misses out on Beijing ’08 due to lack of funds!

By Muctaru Wurie

The failure of the country’s boxing team to take part in the All Africa boxing competition last year means that despite the recent success of Sierra Leone boxing, the national boxing team will miss out on the Beijing games.

The Boxing Tournament at the 2007 All-Africa Games was held in Algiers, Algeria from July 12 to July 21. It served as a qualification tournament for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The number one and two (Gold and Silver) in each boxing group earned a ticket for the Olympic tournament. The All Africa Boxing competition, which also acts as preliminary rounds for the Olympics, is the continent’s largest boxing event.

The regrettable side of it is that though countries such as Senegal and Guinea- two countries that Sierra Leone outmaneuvered in the Zone II tournament- will go to Beijing because they participated in the Algiers tournament last year with the same boxers that took part in the Zone II.

Despite their elevated spirit and hard work our boxing heroes will not have the opportunity to show off their worth at the world’s stage, all because there was lack of funds to buy air tickets to Algeria.

A frustrated boxing official told me that despite several pleas to Sport Council and others for funds to participate in Algeria, there was no help.

“They even stressed the importance of taking part in that competition, but it looked as if our call was not important,” said the source.

Nonetheless, the team could still go to witness the official opening according to boxing officials in Freetown, but up till now they have not received the invitation from the organizers and they don’t look certain to prepare and go with the official Olympic delegation that will leave soon for Beijing.