Kamoko disappointed at exclusion from Bangkok qualifiers
Cruiserweight boxer, Abubakar Kamoko, famously known as Ambitious Tilapia, has expressed his disappointment at being omitted from the squad set to compete in the Bangkok Olympic qualifiers scheduled for May 25 to June 2.
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Kamoko expressed dismay over what he perceived as an unjust selection process, citing the inclusion of boxers who failed to shine at the African Games.
He specifically pointed out to the cases of Jonathan Tetteh and Mohammed Aryeetey, questioning why they were chosen over him despite their lacklustre performances at the African Games.
“They are taking Jonathan Tetteh who couldn’t win a medal at the African Games, also Mohammed Aryeetey, a gold medallist, has been dropped for someone inferior. Why should this be the case?” he asked the Graphic Sports in an interview last Thursday.
The Africa Games bronze medallist emphasised that his primary focus was on securing qualification for the Olympics and expressed disappointment over the selection criteria employed by the authorities.
The 20-year-old boxer, son of the renowned Braimah Kamoko, popularly known as Bukom Banku, captured the public's attention during the African Games with his promising performance.
Although he fell short of clinching the gold medal, settling for silver after a unanimous defeat to Algerian Ousama Kanouni in the final, Kamoko expressed pride in surpassing his father's achievement, who won bronze at the African Games.
While Kamoko acknowledged the upcoming friendly encounter in New Zealand, he reiterated his unwavering dedication to his Olympic aspirations, highlighting the discrepancy between the promised criteria for Olympic selection and the actual decisions made by the selectors.
