In the absence of viable sparring partners, they trained among themselves.

The preparation of the boxers did not work out as planned. After the tournament in Morocco, the boxers were supposed to have a training camp out of the country where they would have had the opportunity to measure up to the best on the planet in their different categories so as to be ready for the London Olympics challenge. Due to lack of financial means to carry out their ambition, the boxers resorted to plan ‘B’ which consisted of training among themselves at the ‘Camp de l’unité’ in Yaounde.

The boxers trained under precarious situation as the boxing ring of the Camp de l’unité’ is below the Olympic standards and boxers had to use the same gloves they have been using since 2009. The most painful part of it, is that, the boxers had to buy medicine from their own pockets each time they sustained an injury and were given a prescription by the medical team. The excuse given by the medical team being that the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education via the National Olympics and sports committee had not yet disbursed funds for the purchase of drugs. Though the boxers were well lodged in one of the hotels in Yaounde for over two weeks, their feeding was wanting given that they were served rice almost on a daily basis. Whereas athletes who practice combat sports that demands a lot of energy, need a special menu to boost their tonic.

However, the boxers are counting on the training camp in Aberdeen, Scotland to make up for these short-comings. According to the national coach for boxing, Tchwem Gustave, there will be several boxers equally preparing for the Olympic Games in Scotland and this will give them the opportunity to look for viable sparring partners, since the Cameroonian boxers will have to face the best on the planet during the London Olympics. It will however be difficult for the fifth boxer recently retained for the Olympics who will only have two weeks to prepare before the competition kicks off on July 27^th. It is disheartening that boxing should be treated with such levity given that the discipline has always won medals for Cameroon in international competitions. That notwithstanding, the boxers say they are determined to make Cameroon proud in London; “We are going to London with the heart of a lion and not because the country did something for us” said one of the boxers, Yepmou Mendouo Blaise.