(JUNE 29)  We now know which countries have been awarded the Tripartite Commission places for Rio 2016.

The Olympic Games Tripartite Commission, comprising the IOC, ANOC and ASOIF and designed to provide smaller NOCs with the opportunity to compete at Olympic Games, has awarded its places for the 2016 Olympic Women’s Boxing competition to Central African Republic, Federated States of Micronesia and Panama in the 51 kg, 60 Kg and 75 kg categories respectively.

The places can only be offered to NOCs with an average of eight or fewer athletes in individual sports/disciplines at the previous two Olympic Games and are subject to approval from AIBA and the Commission. The Rio 2016 Women Boxing competition will be only the second in the history of the Games after London 2012, and following the Commission’s appraisal, athletes from Central African Republic, Federated States of Micronesia and Panama will be among the 36 female boxers competing in Rio de Janeiro.

It is a matter for the National Olympic Committees concerned as to which boxers who will represent them in Rio and thus Panama’s Athena Bylon stands a good chance of claiming a medal albeit she did not actually qualify for Rio. Insofar as the 60kg is concerned, the likely representative of the Federated States of Micronesia is one Jennifer Dugwen Chieng, well known in the United States of course since she has regularly been competing on the Golden Gloves circuit and reached the final of the 125 pounds division 2014 Gloves finals and the 2015 USA Boxing Elite National Championships in Spokane, Wash.

 

In both these fights she lost to Christina Cruz arguably the most decorated boxer in Gloves history. Like Mikaela Mayer, who represents the United States in Rio – they could well clash - she has often faced criticism from those who feel there is no place for a woman in the ring. “There are a lot of, I guess, preconceived notions about female boxers,” Chieng said. “I’ve heard before, ‘Oh, you’re not as thuggish or masculine as I thought’ or whatever.”

“It’s not my job to change anyone’s opinion,” Chieng said,in an extended interview with the ‘New York Daily News’ in 2015. “I love the sport, I love competing and I just love challenging myself. I just invest all of my energy into that. Whoever goes out to watch any female bout, they can determine for themselves what female boxers are all about.”

At 29, single Mom Jennifer has a son Adam whom she drops off to her mother Fe in Brooklyn every morning before work and training. She then goes to work as a Finance Analyst at The Bank of New York Mellon in Manhattan. She is a graduate of Wells College in Syracuse, New York.

In an appeal for funding to help defray costs of going to Rio, Jennifer had this to say:

“I am a boxer and 2016 Olympic Hopeful from the Federated States of Micronesia. I train out of New York City and am currently ranked #2 in the United States at 119lbs by USA Boxing. It is important that I stay busy fighting and developing the necessary experience I need to succeed at the 112lb weight class. Next year I will be competing in the Asia/Pacific Olympic Qualifiers as well as the AIBA Women's World Championships. As the bulk of my training and travel expenses come out of pocket I wanted to thank each and every one in advance for your kind contribution in helping me pursue my goals in this sport and in representing the Federated States of Micronesia. I truly appreciate your support and thank you again for your time and consideration!

Accomplishments:

2015 Pacific Games Lightweight Gold Medallist
2015 New York Daily News Golden Gloves Champion
2015 USA Boxing National Elite Championship Silver Medallist
2014 Metropolitan Champion
2013 New York Daily News Golden Gloves Finalist
2X WPAL Golden Gloves Champion (2012-2013)

Here at WBAN we feel sure that she will receive some funding from those in the United States but of course equally she will hope to get significant backup funding from the Federated State of Micronesia whom she will be representing in Rio 2016. Her funding goal? : $20k goal of which some $1,000 + has been promised as we went to press.

As we reported here back in October 2015, Jennifer Chieng won a special ANOC award together with her Irish friend Katie Taylor, the reigning Olympic champion at 60kg

who took the ANOC European Award in Washington. Now Cheng could meet either Mikaela Mayer OR Katie Taylor in Rio, depending of course on the draw where Taylor is seeded number one and French woman Estelle Mossely no.2. It could even be that they are all in the same half of the draw!

At that Washington banquet, Chieng accepted the award with these words:

“I am still finding it hard to come to terms with the incredible opportunities that have been presented to me in the past few years through the NOC of the Federated States of Micronesia, including this evening and receiving an ANOC Award. It was amazing to represent my country at the Pacific Games. I’ve only had a short sports career so far, but winning that gold medal was certainly a highlight, and this ANOC Award will be equally treasured.”

Taylor who will be seeking a record 19th Gold in Rio added:

“It was amazing to compete at the first ever European Games in Baku and to become the first ever women’s European Games lightweight champion. This recognition is extremely humbling and I am very grateful to ANOC for awarding me this honour. I am looking forward to travelling to Rio with the OCI and bringing home some more medals for Ireland.”

AIBA President Wu added on that occasion:

“These awards are a recognition of how far women’s boxing has come in the short time since we introduced it to the Olympic program at London 2012″ said the AIBA President .The women’s events have proved to be as competitive as they are impressive and a fantastic addition to the world of boxing, thanks in no small part to these two great athletes that I would like to vividly congratulate for their accomplishments”.

For all the latest news on the Olympic boxing program albeit just the three weights for women, be sure to follow us here on WBAN and on our Social Media links. Should you wish to donate to Jennifer Chieng’s funding appeal you will find it here: 
https://www.gofundme.com/JenniferDugwenC