Badou Jack Cleared To Box for Gambia

Gambian boxer Badou Jack is now eligible to compete  for The Gambia following a decision taken by the International Olympic Committee Executive Board.

Badou Jack, born of a Gambian parent in Sweden is the first Gambian Boxer to have ever won Gold in an international Boxing competition.

The Gambia National Olympic Committee negotiated his change of sports allegiance with the Swedish National Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee. Below is the full text of the letter sent to the President of The Gambia National Olympic Committee.

Dear President,

This is in reference to your communication dated 27 March 2008 and our subsequent exchanges concerning the eligibility of Mr Badou Jack to compete for Gambia in the forthcoming Games of the XXIX Olympiad in 2008 in Beijing.

Pursuant of Rule 42 of the Olympic Charter and its Bye -Laws, and with the acceptance of the relevant documentation, including in particular the agreement of the Swedish Olympic Committee and of the International Boxing Association (AIBA), the IOC Executive Board has decided on 10 April 2008 that Mr Jack would be eligible to compete in the future Olympic Games for the Gambian NOC, subject of Qualification.

Thanking you for your continued collaboration, we remain,

Yours sincerely

Pere Miro

Director

NOC Relations Department

Badou Jack is the first Gambian boxer to ever qualify for an Olympic games through the normal International Olympic Committee boxing qualification.

Badou got his qualification on Saturday 29thMarch 2008 by beating boxer Herry Saliku Biembe of the Democratic Republic Congo in the finals of the middle Weight 75 kilos weight in Namibia.

He is the first Gambian to win a goal medal in an international boxing competition.

Badou's pursuit started when he defeated the South African Champion Masana Manganyi in the 3rd round of the quarter final in Namibia in the 2ndAIBA African Olympic Qualification Tournament.

On Friday March 28th 2008, Badou defeated Nigeria's Danuuloko Ekele 7:0 in the semi-finals.

In the final, he met the Congolese boxer Herry Saliku Biembe and defeated him 8:0 thereby becoming the first ever was born Gambian to qualify in this event.

Badou was born in Sweden and represented Sweden in the world championships in Canada in 2007. Since his discovery, arrangements were made by the GNOC to convince the Swedish National Olympic Committee and National Boxing Association of Sweden to change his sporting allegiance to The Gambia.

Following intense negotiations, the Swedish Olympic Committee and Boxing Association agreed to release Badou to box for The Gambia.

Badou is ranked 20 in the world in his weight.