Seven Algerian boxers have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
A. Benchabla Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
On Wednesday, at the Olympic qualifying event in Dakar, Senegal, Algeria confirmed its status as the dominant force in African boxing by sending seven boxers to the Olympics.
On a stunning day of competition, seven of the eight Algerian boxers who had made it to the last four stage won, guaranteeing them a spot at this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Included among the victorious was 33-year-old Abdelhafid Benchabla, who will be competing in his fourth Olympics, but his first as a heavyweight after been eliminated from the light-heavyweight division in the quarterfinals in each of his previous three Olympic appearances.
“I’m not Settling for Fifth Place Anymore,” Benchabla Declared.
Both Mohamed Flissi (flyweight) and Chouaib Bouloudinats (super-heavyweight) will be making their third Olympic appearances.
The last African country to win Olympic gold was the North African nation of Algeria in 1996, thanks to Hocine Soltani. According to super heavyweight Chouaib Bouloudinats, who will be competing in his third Olympics, that legacy is still blazing brightly today.
As in Russia, Cuba, and Kazakhstan (respectively in Europe, America, and Asia), “we have a long history of boxing, but our performance here is proof that Algeria is the home of boxing in Africa.”
With only two more rounds to go, the Africa Olympic Qualifying competition in Dakar is quickly coming to a close. As of right now, 26 boxers have qualified for the Olympics in Tokyo this summer. However, there are still seven spots up for grabs, along with a lot of pride.
Morocco sent four boxers and hopes for two more in the box-offs, but arguably the most astonishing tale of the event has been Zambia, who sent only a team of three to Dakar and all of them qualified, despite the average age of the team being only 19 years old.
In Tokyo, keep an eye out for Patrick Chinyemba, Everisto Mulenga, and Stephen Zimba.
According to Zimba, the group will be Visiting Japan as Promised to the People of Zambia.
We came as a group of three, and now all three of us are qualified to participate. Our accomplishment will get widespread acclaim back home. In Zambia, boxing is second only to soccer in terms of popularity.
Cameroon, Mozambique, and Tunisia each sent two qualifiers, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Mauritius, and Namibia each sent one.
Nick Okoth, captain of the Kenyan squad, will be 37 years old by the time the Games begin. He qualified for the Olympics for the first time since Beijing in 2008, and he found the experience deeply moving.
Okoth explained, “My wife contacted me today and ordered me to go obtain the ticket. “I asked her whether she realised how difficult the battles were here. “You are tougher!” she exclaimed.
I’ll never forget the day I was able to return to a place I’d visited 12 years before. I know what this means for the coaches and the people of Kenya, as none of the Kenyans who fought today have made it.
Richarno Colin, a Boxer from Mauritius, was another Fighter Wiping Away Tears.
He cried happy tears and acknowledged as much. So much effort went into qualifying for my third Olympics, following Beijing and London. I am not a professional boxer; instead, I work as a handyman at the Sports Council during the day and devote my evenings to training.
To paraphrase, “This is unique. To compete in Tokyo and finish on the podium would be a dream come true.
It’s Inevitable that when there are Victors, there will also be Losers.
Both Ghana and Uganda started the day with high expectations after having five fighters advance to the semi-finals. Yet, the box-offs still provide four boxers from both nations a shot at making it to Tokyo.
There will be no sessions on Thursday, but on Friday and Saturday there will be 13 finals and seven box-offs in the women’s flyweight category and the men’s weight categories between the flyweight and light-heavyweight divisions.
Soon after the Senegal match concludes, all eyes will turn to Amman, Jordan, where the Asia and Oceania qualifier will begin on Tuesday due to the coronavirus epidemic in Wuhan, China.