GABORONE, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Botswana's Sadie Keamogetse Kenosi has become the first African boxer to secure a place at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
The 23-year-old defeated Moroccan Bertal Widad in the semifinals at the ongoing African qualifiers at the Dakar International Expo Centre in Senegal on Wednesday.
Kenosi thus became the first female boxer from Botswana and the first boxer from any country to qualify for Tokyo 2020 under a process being led by an International Olympic Committee (IOC) taskforce, after the International Boxing Association's (AIBA) recognition was suspended in June.
Botswana's president Mokgweetsi Masisi on Thursday led the praise for the youngster in the capital city Gaborone, saying this was not only an amazing achievement for her but for Botswana as well, and that the nation is proud of her.
Kenosi justified her billing as the top seed in the women's featherweight division (54-57kg) as she progressed to the final where she will fight Tunisian Khouloud Moulahi Ep Hlimi on Friday.
Meanwhile, Botswana Boxing Association (BOBA) president Thato Patlakwe on Thursday congratulated Kenosi for her historic feat, saying it will help change the dynamic of boxing in the country, where it has traditionally been seen as a men's sport.
He added that the country has done well sending boxers to the Olympics before, but had regressed in recent years as they failed to send a single boxer to the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
For his part, coach Lechedzani Master Luza told Xinhua in a phone interview from Dakar that Kenosi's success is the result of the hard work she has put in leading up to the qualifiers.
However, he cautioned that there remains much to be done in the coming months, as Kenosi now prepares for the Olympics where competition for medal placings will be even harder.
Botswana only has one Olympic medal in history of the Games, won by 800m runner Nijel Amos at London 2012.
Kenosi joins runners Amos, Christine Botlogetswe and Galefele Moroko as the only athletes from Botswana to have so far qualified for Tokyo 2020. Enditem