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| October 12, 2003 | Sunday | Sha'aban 15, 1424 |
Congo boxing team fined, official banned
ABUJA, Oct 11: Congo have been fined and their president banned for a year by the African Boxing Confederation (ABC) following a row over results amid allegations of biased officiating at the All Africa Games here.
A lot is riding on the boxing event at the All Africa Games as it would serve as a qualifier for both the 2004 Olympics as well as the inaugural Afro-Asian Games which will begin later this month.
Technical delegate of the boxing tournament, Francis Nyangweso, told AFP Saturday that Congo were fined 1,000 US dollars and the president of Congo’s boxing association banned from all Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA) activities for a year after he assaulted a Tunisian referee.
Congolese officials had protested after their boxer Ngoma Lefoumbo was adjudged to have lost 22-11 to Aluoa Andy of Seychelles in a welterweight bout. Both officials and the fighter alleged they were robbed.
“I wonder what this scoring is all about. The whole world saw I fought a clean fight and deserved to win,” said a tearful Lefoumbo after the contentious decision.
Several other teams here have questioned not only the accuracy of the computer scoring system but the fairness of the results of the bouts.
“This is an Arab boxing competition,” alleged the President of the Ethiopian boxing association, Hungnaw Ayele, who claimed that the referees and judges were doing the bidding of the Algerians because the ABC boss as well as several judges and referees are from that country.—AFP
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