Rwanda picks 13 pugilists for African champs

AFTER holding the annual national boxing championship in Kigali mid this month, Rwanda Amateur Boxing Association (Raba) has picked 13 boxers to represent the country at the 2013 Africa Amateur Boxing Championship in Port Louis (Mauritius) next month.According to the technical director Kananura Gashugi, the finalists in the senior category earned qualification to the national team which will start preparations on Monday.“We picked all finalists of the Men’s category and we will engage them in intensive preparations before selecting the final team which will represent Rwanda at the All Africa games,” said Gashugi, who doubles as the national team coach.Organised by Africa Boxing Union (ABU), the championship opening is one of the continent’s major boxing events. The picked boxers will also compete at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.Boxers, who were picked, include; Olivier Niyigena and Ekli Emina in Light Fly (48kg), Eric Baribustsa and Epa Mbarushimana in Fly Weight (52kg), Jean Pierre Kiiza and David Nsabimana in Bantam weight (56kg), Olivier Nshingiro and Claude Uwimana in Light weight (60kg).Others are; Emmanuel Ntare in Light welter (64kg), Theoneste Gakunzi and Nasser Mutabazi in Welter weight (69kg) and Jean Marie Bikorimana and Vincent Nsengiyumva in Middle weight (75kg).Gashugi revealed that the national team will engage Kenya’s boxing team on September 8 in a warm-up competition before heading to Mauritius.

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Rwanda picks 13 pugilists for African champs