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Screams of joy littered the halls and changing rooms of the Palasport Remo Maggetti in Roseto Degli Abruzzi, Italy after 22 boxers from 14 countries realised a dream by qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Games following the semifinals of the 1st AIBA European Olympic Qualification Tournament on Friday.

There were also tears of disappointment as 14 of the 22 losing semifinalists saw their Olympic hopes postponed, at least until the 2nd AIBA European Olympic Qualification Tournament in Athens, Greece in April.

Friday's Olympic qualifiers were led by four Ukrainians which include two European bronze medallists Oleksander Klyuchko in the 60kg class and Olexander Stretskyy (69kg) who beat the highly rated Englishman Billy Joe Saunders 15:13, and 2005 world champion in the 81 kg class Ismayl Sillakh. Three boxers from Hungary and Belarus, which include 2005 world championships 69kg silver medallist Mahamed Nurudzinau and 2004 Olympic Games silver medallist in the 91kg class Viktar Zuyeu will also live the dream in Beijing, China and be joined by two from England and one each from Poland, Russia, Ireland, Moldova, Azerbaijan, France, Romania, Sweden, Bulgaria and Croatia.

Four more places will go on the line in Saturday's bronze medal bouts in the Bantamweight, Featherweight, Welterweight and Middleweight classes.

A total of 150 athletes from 50 countries have now qualified for the Olympic Games boxing competition after Romania, Belarus and Sweden qualified boxers for the first time in Italy.

Saturday's finals start at 16.00.