Three years ago, Nelvie Tiafack missed the Olympics in the decisive fight. This time, after massive health problems, his starting situation for the IOC’s international qualifying tournament for the Games in Paris actually seemed hopeless. But the super heavyweight defied the odds and was the only male German boxer to get his ticket to the Olympics.
“Actually, I had already given up“, candid words from Nelvie Tiafack the day after he won the most important fight of his life so far. Location: the IOC Olympic qualifying tournament in Busto Arsizio, Italy. Boxers from all over the world have come here to secure a personal starting place for the games in the summer. More than 600 athletes are fighting for 49 tickets. Including eleven German athletes. Two people made it: Maxi Klötzer from Saxony and Nelvie Tiafack from Bergheim.
The former European champion has to fight four fights in Italy and win all four. This succeeds. In the decisive match he clearly defeated the Serb Dusan Veletic on points. A redemption. “I still had tears rolling down in the ring right after the verdict was announcedsays the 1.89 meter powerhouse. Emotions that quickly become understandable when you know how many obstacles Nelvie Tiafack had to overcome to achieve this goal.
Missed qualification for Tokyo
Three years ago, Germany’s currently best super heavyweight believed he was very close to the Olympics. There, too, an international qualifying tournament decided on the starting places because the International Olympic Committee had withdrawn the right to host the World Boxing Association. Tiafack was only missing one victory, but in the decisive fight he suffered a defeat. “I took my opponent too lightly back then. Afterwards I was completely devastated.“Everything he had always dreamed of as a boxer, unattainable for years.
New attempt, new motivation, new Olympic cycle. Boxing progressed noticeably in the years that followed. In 2022 Nelvie Tiafack won the European title. Physically more and more fit. Not just pure power, but now a complete boxer.
Massive injury problems
However, as soon as the topic of the Olympics seemed to be within reach again, the difficulties increased. The athlete from SC Colonia 06 Cologne missed his first chance to qualify in the summer of 2023 at the European Games in Krakow; again very close. Tiafack should have reached the final, but Tiafack failed in the semi-finals.
But almost worse: his athletic body was on strike. Knee, shoulder, thigh. No normal training was possible for months. It is incredibly difficult for him to keep his nerve during the maintenance break, as he calls this time. Mainly because the inflamed left shoulder refuses to heal at all and medical examinations do not provide any helpful results. “Even my first fight at the Olympic qualification in Italy I fought almost only with one arm. Only then did it become more bearable.“
In January there was even talk of canceling the last training camp in Kienbaum because the cervical spine was now causing massive problems. As a result, his long-time trainer Lukas Wilascheck tore his Achilles tendon and has been able to hobble on crutches since then. Everything seemed to be conspiring against Nelvie Tiafack and his big sporting dream.
All national team colleagues fail
But despite the adversities, the 25-year-old wins the national competition and travels to the qualifying tournament in Italy. Things are pretty mixed for the German boxing association there. One male teammate after another fails, in the end only Nelvie Tiafack remains – the one whose start was questionable for so long. His health problems are now taking on almost bizarre proportions. In the third fight, his opponent is the Greek Stylianos Roulias, Nelvie Tiafack wins on points. The shoulder holds, but the Bergheimer tears the tendon of his right thumb.
The doctors estimate a ten-week break from boxing, but he will be fit for the decisive duel with the Serbian Veletic. And after three rounds it is Nelvie Tiafack’s arm that is raised in the air as a sign of victory. A victory of the will, a victory of suffering. “It’s incomprehensible to me that I’ve done this, I haven’t even realized it yet.“
Goal: clearing the Olympics
At the age of six, Nelvie Tiafack came to Germany from Cameroon with his mother Josephine Forghab, and he still lives with her under the same roof today. That’s why the first call after the successful qualification belonged to his mother. “Now you’ve done everything you’ve always talked about“, she compliments him. Words that make Nelvie Tiafack realize what he has just achieved.
But Germany’s best super-heavyweight boxer wouldn’t be himself if his head wasn’t already in Paris in the summer. Anyone who has cleared so many health obstacles is obviously not really frightened by the next compulsory break because of the torn thumb tendon. “I’m definitely not just going to Paris to wave flags, I’m going there to clear things up.“