Preliminary stages draw to a close at World Olympic Qualification Event with 43 nations still in contention for quota places
June 22nd, 2016 / IBA
The sixth and final preliminary day of the World Olympic Qualification Event in Baku saw 60 contests decide the quarter-finalists at flyweight (52kg), bantamweight (56kg), lightweight (60kg), light welterweight (64kg) and middleweight (75kg), and the semi-finalists at light flyweight (49kg), heavyweight (91kg) and super heavyweight (+91kg). At the end of Tuesday’s action, 68 boxers from 43 countries remain in contention for the 39 quota places, the first of which will be confirmed on Wednesday.
United States’ Antonio Vargas continued his good form with a straightforward win over Guatemalan veteran Eddy Valenzuela, and will now face Italian Vincenzo Picardi in the last eight. In one of the day’s most eagerly anticipated bouts, Bulgaria’s reigning EUBC European Flyweight Champion Daniel Asenov overcame Kyrgyzstan’s ASBC Asian Champion Azat Usenaliev, while at lightweight (60kg), Sweden’s Yohannes Berhane caused an upset by beating Mexican top seed Lindolfo Delgado and Tajikstan’s top boxer Anvar Yunusov defeated Italy’s three-time Olympian veteran Domenico Valentino.
Haiti’s 19 year-old sensation Richardson Hitchins continued his excellent campaign with a win over Spanish light welterweight (64kg) Johann Eduardo Orozco, while Britain’s Pat McCormack also advanced to the Quarter-Finals where he will meet France’s Hassan Amzile for an Olympic place.
At light heavyweight (81kg), Russia’s EUBC European Champion Petr Khamukov was too strong for Slovenia’s Denis Lazar, the young Ukrainian favourite Oleksandr Khyzhniak eliminated Switzerland’s Uke Smajli, Belarus’ London 2012 Olympian Mikhail Dauhaliavets dominated his fight against Greece’s Polyneikis Kalamaras and Azerbaijan’s 2012 Olympic Games bronze medallist Teymur Mammadov won a hectic contest with Georgian Iago Kiziria.
Azeri Youth Olympic champion Rufat Huseynov beat Morocco’s Zouhir El Bekkali to set up a huge light flyweight (49kg) semi-final against Mexico’s Joselito Velazquez, and Cuban bantamweight (56kg) favourite Robeisy Ramirez advanced to the last eight with a win over Jordan veteran Mohammad Abdelaziz Alwadi.
