Rwanda Amateur Boxing Association (Raba) is eyeing participation at this year’s Aiba World Youth Boxing Championship due on May 22-31 in Yerevan, Armenia.

According to Raba Technical Director Gashugi Kananura,Rwanda must take part in the World youth championship to earn qualification to the 2010 Olympic youth Games to be held in Singapore.

"We are planning on how best we will send a squad to the world event. We are looking for funds to enable our federation start early preparations for the event.”

"We hope to hold a national championship in March to select qualified youth boxers who will represent Rwanda,” Gashugi said.

Gashugi also added that Rwanda will host a Central and Eastern Africa boxing championship in May which will shape up youth and senior national team boxers ahead of the World Championships due in Milan, Italy from October 29 - September 13.

Rwandan boxers born between January 1, 1992 and December 31, 1993 who will also compete at this year’s Aiba Youth World Championships will be eligible to compete at the Singapore Youth Olympic Games.

If Rwanda fails to qualify her boxers at this year’s junior championship in Armenia, they will still have a chance to qualify youthful national boxers at the 2010 Youth World Boxing Championships which will be held in April, 2010.

The allocation of quota places from the Aiba Youth World Boxing Championships is limited to a maximum of three boxers per country/NOC.

In the case of one country winning more than three qualifying places at the Youth World Boxing Championships, the country will be forced to select its final choice of three athletes within the given deadline.

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