1st AIBA African Olympic Qualifying Tournament page

First qualifying spots shared around

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Eleven boxers from seven countries qualified for the Beijing Olympic Games at the 1st AIBA African Olympic Qualification event in Algiers, Algeria on Sunday on a day when normally only 10 would have qualified.

With the top three in the weight divisions 48kg, 54kg, 60kg, 69kg, and the top two in the 81kg class automatically booking a spot at the 2008 Olympic Games, 10 boxers won their semifinals to book a seat on the plane to Beijing, however the 11th qualifier - Choayeb Oussassi (ALG) - also booked a ticket, despite losing his 69kg semifinal to Hussein Bakr Abdin Hosam (EGY), after his expected opponent in Tuesday's bronze medal match Rached Merdassi (TUN) was disqualified - Tunisia's first loss of the tournament.

In the bout of the day, 2006 junior world championships bronze medallist Hamza Kramou (ALG) beat 2000 Olympics bronze medallist Tahar Tamsamani (MAR) 25:10 in the second 60kg  semifinal. Twenty-three year-old Kramou was in devastating form, completely outboxing Tamsamani who will have another chance to qualify for a third consecutive Olympic Games in Tuesday's bronze medal bouts.

Twenty more boxers will vie for 10 qualification spots on Monday in the 51kg, 57kg, 64kg, 75kg and 91kg divisions.

Day five results - Sunday

Bout       Weight                                  Result

53           Light Fly 48 kg                     BILALI SULEIMANE (KEN) 32:8 BOUBRAOUAT REDOUANE (ALG)

54           Light Fly 48 kg                     UUTONI JAFET (NAM) 22:7 PLANGE MANYO (GHA)

55           Bantam 54 kg                      HICHAM MESBAHI (MAR) 11-1 MHLONGO JOSEPH (RSA)

56           Bantam 54 kg                    OURRADI ABDELHALIM (ALG) RET R2 IKGOPOLENG STEPHEN (BOT)

57           Light 60 kg                           NEJMAOUI SAIFEDDINE (TUN) 19:7 LAWSON FREDERIK (GHA)

58           Light 60 kg                           KRAMOU HAMZA (ALG) 25:10 TAMSAMANI TAHAR (MAR)

59           Welter 69 kg                        MULEMA JOSEPH (CMR) DSQ R3 MERDASSI RACHED (TUN)

60           Welter 69 kg                        HOSAM HUSSEIN BAKR ABDIN (EGY) 16: 6 OUSSASSI CHOAYEB (ALG)

61           Light Heavy 81 kg              BENCHABLA ABDELHAFID (ALG) 27:8 SAMIR BASTIE (GHA)

62           Light Heavy 81 kg              SAHRAOUI MOURAD (TUN) 14:3 JACOBS UNATHI (RSA)

63           Super Heavy +91 kg          AMANISSI MOHAMED (MAR) RET R2 OSUMANU HARUNA (GHA)

64           Super Heavy +91 kg          OUATAH NEWFEL (ALG) 17:6 GOMIS STEPHANE (SEN)

Underlined boxers have qualified for the Beijing Olympic Games