BY Idris Shehu
The Nigerian trio of Cynthia Ogunsemilore, Omole Dolapo and Olaore Olaoitan have qualified to represent Nigeria at the boxing event of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
According to NAN, the trio achieved the feat after clinching gold medals in their respective weight divisions at the Olympics Africa Boxing qualifiers in Dakar, Senegal.
On Friday, Omole defeated Leta Fikremariyam Yadesa from Ethiopia in the men’s 57kg to win a gold medal and clinch the ticket.
In the men’s 92kg, Olaore won gold after outboxing Algeria’s Houmri Mohamed to earn another Olympic berth for Nigeria.
Similarly, Ogunsemilore beat Khelif Hadjila from Algeria in the women’s 60kg final to win gold. She had, however, booked a place in Paris after knocking out Zambia’s Nkandu Felistars in round two of the semi-final on Thursday.
Ogunsemilore became the first Nigerian female boxer to qualify for the Olympics since Edith Ogoke in London in 2012.
Team Nigeria had nine boxers – six females and three males — at the qualifiers.
Ojo Joy, Patricia Mbata, Adeola Oyesiji, Zainab Adeshina, Olawunmi Shodipe and Moshood Fatai failed in their qualification quest.
The qualifications upturned the disappointing performance of the last Olympic Games, where Nigeria was not represented at the boxing event.
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