SA boxers head out in search of their dream
London 2012 Olympian Ayabonga Sonjica leads a 12-strong South African boxing team into battle in Mozambique next week as they bid to get to the Rio Games in August. The Southern African Zone IV tournament in Maputo from Monday to Friday will be a springboard for the African Olympic qualifying tournament in Cameroon in March."They must win silver medals in Maputo to get to the qualifying tournament," head coach Johan Prinsloo said this week.Boxers will need to win at least a bronze in Cameroon to qualify for the Olympics, according to the continental qualifying standards agreed to between the International Olympic Committee and the International Boxing Association (Aiba).But the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) has already ruled it won't accept continental qualifying for any sport.South African boxers missed their only chance for international qualification because the SA National Boxing Organisation (Sanabo), could not afford to send a team to the world championships last year. Sanabo has since received funding from the government."That [the Olympic] dream is still on," insisted Prinsloo."We will still have discussions with Sascoc and explain that we couldn't get to the world championships. The tournament in Africa is now our only chance to get to the Olympics."..
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