Africa’s best boxers closing in on Olympic places after Day 5 of qualification in Cameroon capital Yaoundé
March 16th, 2016 / IBA
Tuesday saw another series of superb boxing displays in Yaoundé as the winners from each of the 28 intense bouts edged closer to realising their Olympic dreams. Wednesday will bring a further 20 quarter-finals across the afternoon and evening sessions.
In the men’s flyweight competition, Algerian top seed Mohamed Flissi outclassed Nigeria’s Muyideen Oyakojo to underline his title credentials both here and in Rio. Challenging him all the way will be Lesotho’s Moroke Mokhotho, who’s remarkable stamina saw him through against Tunisia’s African Military Champion Montassar El Bouali in one of the bouts of the day.
Commonwealth Games silver medallist Jonas Junius also put in one of the performances of his career to date as he edged past Egypt’s London 2012 Olympian Eslam Ahmed Aly Mohamed.
“I studied my Egyptian opponent’s style before the bout so there were no surprises in the first round. I worked at closer range compared to my last fight and my rival mostly tried to launch counter-attacks so I let him come first and then worked on his mistakes,” said Namibian light welterweight Junius, who finds himself one win away from an Olympic place.
Junius is joined in the semis by Ethiopia’s Girmachew Bahiru Tadesse after he knocked out one of the favourites, Mekki Ben Said of Tunisia, along with Benin number-one Shafiq Chitou who narrowly defeated Gabon’s Bruno Menie Nzue Ndong. Mauritius’ All African Games champion Richarno Colin continues as a serious title contender after he comprehensively beat Kenyan Victor Otieno Nyadera.
Ugandan WSB light heavyweight and Beijing 2008 Olympian Kennedy Katende marked his 31st birthday with a brilliant win over Nigeria’s Sadiq Umar, and at heavyweight it was Mauritius’ APB star Joseph Kennedy St. Pierre’s night as he beat Nigerian rival Efetobor Apochi.
The women’s flyweights were also in action on Day 5, with Morocco’s Zohra Ez Zahraoui seeing off a spirited challenge from Zambia’s top female boxer Juliana Kasonka before the talented Nigerian Caroline Linus showed her Olympic potential with a comprehensive win over Kenya’s Christine Ongare.
Please find all the results here.
