Five local boxers celebrated with their fans on the final day of the AIBA African Olympic Qualifying Event Casablanca 2012. All 48 quota places have now been allocated.
Algeria's All Africa Games silver medallist Mohamed Flissi had hard way to the light flyweight final in Casablanca where he had to fight against Morocco's African Championships silver medallist Abdelali Daraa. Both boxers were very motivated during the fight despite of the fact that both competitors secured their tickets to London. Algeria's Flissi worked better in the last round and triumphed over his opponent by 9:7.
Botswana's current All Africa Games winner 22-year-old Oteng Oteng realized his chances in the qualification tournament and can prepare to his first Olympics. The result table showed equal points in the flyweight final after three minutes fight where Botswana's team captain fought against Kenya's Commonwealth Games silver medallist Benson Gicharu. Virtuoso Oteng stepped on the gas in the second frame of the contest and finally won the gold medal by large margin of points.
Morocco's southpaw boxer, veteran Aboubaker Seddik Lbida had a strong talented rival in the bantamweight final, namely 18-year-old Isaac Dogboe who lives in the United Kingdom but competing for Ghana. The tallest Moroccan boxer and his teenager opponent who is a real fighter and changed his stances during the fight to find the winning way, did a great battle in Casablanca. All of their rounds finished draw while the Moroccan boxer became the luckier and won the gold by accepted scores. There were five remaining five African Olympic quotas before the event therefore Namibia's Jonas Matheus Nghilandemwenyo also secured his place to the Games in spite of his losing quarter-final.
Tunisia's All Africa Games winner 22-year-old Ahmed Mejri also realized his Olympic dreams at the lightweight class and finally crowned in Casablanca. The young Tunisian boxer walked over to the gold because his opponent, Algeria's Beijing Olympic Games quarter-finalist Abdelkader Chadi could not fight against him.
Morocco's World Combat Games silver medallist and Arab Games winner Abdelhak Aatakni secured the second gold medal for the host nation after beating Tunisia's All Africa Games silver medallist Abderrazak Haouia by 13:6 at the light welterweight class. Aatakni competed at the 2006 AIBA Junior World Championships in Agadir while his real breakthrough was made among the elite boxers only last year but might be his technique will be enough to do great things in London as well.
Morocco's Arab Games winner Mehdi Khalsi can prepare to his second Olympic Games and showed a very aggressive style in the welterweight final against Mali's AIBA World Championships competitor Mohamed Diaby who caused a huge surprise with his victories in Casablanca. Soldier Khalsi led by 3:1 after three minutes fight against tallest Diaby who lives and trains in France but could not use up his better physical skills in their gold medal contest which ended 13:9 and the local fans could celebrate the third Moroccan victory.
Morocco's African Champion Badreddine Haddioui started better in the middleweight final than his opponent, Namibia's Beijing Olympian Desmond Mujandjae Kasuto. Haddioui led by 2:0 after the first frame and had excellent footwork in the last round therefore his final victory which was the fourth for the home nation, was not a surprise. Egypt's star Mohamed Hikal lost to Haddioui in the quarter-final by accepted scores but his final ranking, the fifth position was enough to qualify to his fourth Olympic Games.
Tunisia's second gold medal in the AIBA African Olympic Qualification Tournament was achieved by African Champion 22-year-old Yahya Mkacheri at the light heavyweight class while the runner-up became the host nation's veteran Ahmed Barki who returned to the national squad because of the London Olympics last year.
Algeria's AIBA World Championships quarter-finalist Chouaib Bouloudinat who is member of the Astana Arlans franchise in the World Series of Boxing, won the heavyweight division without contest against Ghana's London Olympian Maxwell Amponsah who was unable to fight in their gold medal contest.
At the super heavyweight final Morocco's Beijing Olympic Games quarter-finalist Mohamed Arjaoui Cameroon's defending African Champion Blaise Yepmou Mendouo both have got experiences at the World Series of Boxing. Arjaoui had one point advantage after three minutes and he could increase it up to two points before the final round. Arjaoui received a warning in the final frame of the final but he could keep one point from his advantage and secured Morocco's fifth gold medal in Casablanca.
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