Platform set for bigger things ahead for SA
The goal to have South Africa represented at the 2024 Olympics is well on course after two boxers made it to the Youth World Championships in Hungary.
The championships started on Tuesday and will run until next week Friday with 44 nations battling it out to cement their status as the best to develop talent.
The event is being contested by male and female boxers in the age of 17 and 18 years.
South Africa sent two boxers even though it qualified three at the African youth championships in Morocco last month.
Led by Mdantsane-born trainer Khangelani Jack, the team consists of Ndikhona Nyhebe from the township and Amorie Gonzales from Gauteng. The third member Sandiso Hlatshwayo who secured a berth in Morocco could not go due to illness.
SA National Boxing Organisation (Sanabo) president Andile Mofu hailed the participation of local boxers in the championships, saying it would boost their international experience.
The country has been unable to qualify boxers to international championships such as Olympics in Rio two years ago.
But the presence of the two boxers in Budapest gives new hopes that SA may be represented in Tokyo in 2020.
But Mofu said the target was 2024 when both boxers will have grown and well developed.
“This bodes well for our goal to qualify for 2024 Olympics because these two youngsters will be ready then,” he said.
The boxers intensified their preparation for the championships after spending a weeklong camp at the High Performance Centre on Pretoria.
They left for Hungary last Thursday to join strong nations such as Kazakhstan, Philippines and Belarus who are favoured to dominate the championships.