News

Andrew Selby qualifies for the London Olympic Games

15.11.2011

Khalid Yafai (left) and Andrew Selby (Photo: Hannah McLafferty)

Welshmen Andrew Selby has qualified for the Olympic Games following his 'box-off' victory over England's European Championships silver medallist Khalid Yafai.

Both Flyweight boxers had advanced to the quarter-final stages of the 16th edition of the AIBA World Boxing Championships in Baku, thus qualifying automatically for the London Games. However with only one place available to represent Great Britain, they had to 'box-off' to determine who could take the spot for the London Olympic Games. The British Amateur Boxing Association decided that Selby and Yafai would face each other over two fights at the GB National Championships, with a third contest in the event of a draw.

The pressure was on Welshmen Andrew Selby after his loss in the final against Russia's former European Champion Misha Aloyan at the AIBA World Boxing Championships. He had earned a silver medal in Baku and would have qualified for London automatically had he won the Flyweight final against Aloyan.

In the first bout of the 'box-off', reigning European Champion Andrew Selby defeated 22-year-old Khalid Yafai by large margin of points, 26:12. The 23-year-old Welshmen put in a virtuoso performance in this first leg held at York Hall.

England's star and Beijing Olympian Khalid Yafai was unable to make his weight for the second 'box-off' due to swelling in his right hand so had to hand Selby a walk-over. The British Amateur Boxing Association then confirmed that Andrew Selby would be Great Britain's Flyweight representative at the 30th Summer Olympic Games in 2012.

Andrew Selby joined the four other British boxers already qualified for the Olympic Games, Bantamweight Luke Campbell, Light Welterweight star Thomas Stalker, Super Heavyweight talent Anthony Joshua and Welshman Fred Evans, the current European Champion.

The performance director of the British Amateur Boxing Association, Rob McCracken was delighted for Andrew Selby but felt for Khalid Yafai. McCracken believed that both were great boxers who deserved to go to the Olympics.

The final European qualification event will be held in Istanbul, Turkey in April 2012 where British boxers can still qualify for the Olympics. At the forthcoming event 26 European qualification places are still up for grabs.