Lack of funds have forced Tanzania to withdraw from the AIBA African Olympic Qualification Event in Yaoundé ©AIBA

Tanzania have been forced to withdraw from the International Boxing Association (AIBA) African Olympic Qualification Event at the Paposy boxing venue in Cameroon’s capital Yaoundé because of lack of funds.

They had planned to send 10 boxers to the event, due to start tomorrow and last until March 11, where the continent’s best male and female boxers will be competing for 36 qualification places - 30 men’s and six women’s -at Rio 2016. 

Boxing Federation of Tanzania (BFT) secretary general Mashaga Makore claimed they had approached several companies in the country to try to raise sponsorship but were unsuccessful. 

“We did all what we could, we involved theGovernment in the search for money so that we can send our boxers to Cameroon to compete at the Championships which will also be used as qualifiers for the Olympic Games, but we have failed," he said.

“Everyone knows that the Government has other priorities, I think the corporate world should have been supporting sports but that is not the case here."

Tanzania made its Olympic debut at Tokyo in 1964 and been represented in boxing seven times.

At London 2012 they sent one fighter, welterweight Selemani Salum Kidunda, who lost in the first round. 

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Olympic women's middleweight gold medallist Claressa Shields is among the top names competing at the AIBA Olympic Qualification tournament in Buenos Aires ©Getty Images

The American Olympic Qualification Event is also due to start tomorrow.

The event, at the Predio Ferial la Rural de Palermo in Argentina's capital Buenos Aires, offers quota places to Rio 2016 for 25 men and five women.

Cuba, the continent's top country, will have only four competitors as six boxers have already qualified to compete in Rio de Janeiro. 

All of them, will begin as favourites as they are among the stars of the World Series of Boxing franchise Domadores, including London 2012 gold medallists light welterweight Roniel Iglesias and flyweight Robeisy Ramirez.

They will be joined by Erislandy Savon, silver medallist in the heavyweight category at the AIBA World Championships in Doha last October, and Leinier Pero, Pan American Games gold medallist in the superheavyweight division in Toronto last year. 

The top female boxer on show is American Claressa Shields, the Olympic middleweight gold medallist at London four years ago when women's boxing made its first appearance in the Games. 

She has remained unbeaten since London 2012, adding the 2014 World Championship and 2015 Pan American Games titles to her collection. 

“The strength of the field in Buenos Aires speaks volumes about the quality of boxing on our continent as we go into this important Olympic year," said American Confederation President Osvaldo Rafael Bisbal.

"There are potential gold medal winners in every squad, but it is a long journey to becoming Olympic champion with a lot of bouts to win, starting here."