Three Nigerians: Cynthia Ogunsemilore, Omole Dolapo, and Olaore Olaoitan, are among the 249 boxers listed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the forthcoming Paris 2024 Games.
In a document made available to The Guardian, yesterday, Omole will fight in the men’s 57kg class, Olaore is listed in the men’s 92kg category, while the lone woman, Cynthia Ogunsemilore will fight in the 60kg category.
Ogunsemilore is the first Nigerian female boxer to qualify for the Olympics since Edith Ogoke in London in 2012.
The Olympics list sent to the IOC by Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU), as part of an update on the qualification pathway and the Olympic boxing tournament, comprises 125 men and 124 women.
According to the report, over 2,000 boxers from 172 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and the Refugee Olympic Team, and Individual Neutral Athletes took part in the Boxing Road to Paris qualification series, totalling 2,115 bouts across seven tournaments in five continents over two years, with 239 quota places awarded.
“Nine Universality Places are to be confirmed at a later stage, and one additional place will be allocated to the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, completing the lineup of 249 boxers who will compete in the Paris 2024 boxing tournament,” the report said.
Speaking on the qualification process, IOC Sports Director, Kit McConnell, said: “The final qualification step in Bangkok was a truly global event, with 578 athletes from 131 NOCs and the Refugee Team competing for the last quota places to qualify for Paris 2024.
“The boxing qualification process has always put athletes first. Tournaments have been held across all continents since last year, with exciting sports competitions involving hundreds of athletes. We have delivered on our commitment to transparency, innovation and credibility. Throughout the qualification process, some 200 international technical officials were also involved, implementing educational paths, including in-person seminars, online workshops and courses.”
Nigeria is aiming to win its first boxing medal in Paris since its fighters last climbed the podium at the 1996 Games through Duncan Dokiwari.
