Cape Verde’s reigning Africa welterweight champion, Ivanusa Moreira jumped up with joy. She was ecstatic, her Olympic dream has been realised.
Moreira had thrice been unsuccessful in the Africa qualifiers and the two World Olympic Qualifiers in Italy and Thailand.
But she never lost hope. After going down to DR Congo’s Brigitte Mbabi in the quarter-finals of the final qualifiers in Bangkok, Thailand, Moreira was now relying on divine intervention to realise her Olympic dream through the nine Universality Places.
Her prayers were answered when the President of Cape Verde’s National Olympic Committee in a video call, shared the good news.
“We all jumped and screamed and cried of happiness,” an excited Moreira told me in a phone chat from her base in Lisbon.
“I’m so happy, finally I’ve fulfilled my dream of participating in the Olympics,” said Moreira.
Africa now has 21 boxers to feature in the Olympics and four female welterweights with Moreira now having her boarding pass for the Paris flight.
Who knows, more African boxers could be on board as we wait for the official communication on the lucky boxers who’ve been allocated the nine quotas by the Olympic Games Tripartite Commission.
