The Boxing Federation of Tanzania (BFT) is confident that the boxers picked to represent the country at the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland will end the country’s gold medal drought in the international arena.
BFT President Mutta Rwakatare told the ‘Daily News’ in Dar es Salaam that the federation is optimistic that the boxers picked for the Glasgow Games will return home with a gold medal which the country has been missing for quite some time.
Rwakatare said he is confident with the squad which is currently undergoing intensive training in Turkey and China because of the feedback they have been receiving from their trainers that the boxers are catching up with their training quite well.
“Reports from the camp in China and Turkey give me confidence that the boxers are going to make us proud by bringing home a gold medal which is our main focus at the Games and accomplish President Jakaya Kikwete’s request to the Tanzania team to deliver in Scotland when he received the Queen Baton Relay at the State House,” he said.
The BFT chief added that with the training the boxers are getting from the Chinese and Turkish trainers, the morale and determination, he is quite sure they are going to bring medals.
Rwakatare said there are four boxers training in Turkey the European boxing style which is based on counter-attack while those in China are trained the Chinese boxing style based on quick attacks.
“With these two styles plus our Cuban style which we have been using for many years we are in good position to perform well in Glasgow and other international events which will come later,” he said.
The boxers in Turkey return home at the end of this month will join the other five boxers who are in China are expected back on July 4.
The squad will later proceed to Filbert Bayi’s hostel in Kibaha, Coast region to pitch their final camp with other athletes who were also training abroad before going to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow where a total of 17 sports and 261 medal events will be contested.
For over a month or so, local athletes have been in intensive training in four different countries — China, Turkey, New Zealand and Ethiopia — under the support of the government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for the Games scheduled for July 23 to August 3.
Thirty-six athletes and officials will make the trip to Scotland. They are drawn from BFT, Athletics Tanzania (AT), Tanzania Swimming Association (TSA), Judo Association of Tanzania (JATA), Tanzania Table Tennis Association (TTTA) and Cycling Association of Tanzania (CAT).