Two Africans Make It To Beijing 2008

Only two of Africa's more than 40 representatives at the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) tournaments have managed to qualify for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games so far.

Egypt's light heavyweight Yasser Ramadan and Morocco's middleweight Rachidi Said are the only certainties from Africa for the Olympics in China despite failing to reach the medal zone.

The two were beaten in their respective quarter final bouts last Thursday but gained their passage to the Olympics on the basis of being among the last eight in their weight classes.

By the competition rules, the last eight in all the 11 weight classes, except the heavyweight and super heavyweight divisions, qualify for the Olympic Games.

Only the top four in the heavyweight and super heavyweight categories have qualified for the Olympics so far.

The opportunity spares them the challenges of fighting in Namibia and Algeria where their compatriots and fellow Africans will be in January and April for the other windows open to African boxers towards reaching Beijing next year.

Ramadan and Said are just two of a total 80 boxers who have qualified for the 2008 Olympics so far, while Russia alone has a nine-man representation after losing out on just the light flyweight and lightweight divisions.

The United States has only five qualifiers from Chicago 2007, a rather disappointing performance from one of amateur boxing's main pillars.

Interestingly, the Americans flopped in the lightweight, super lightweight, middleweight, super middleweight, heavyweight and super heavyweight divisions, where the Americans have made the greatest impact on professional boxing.

Instead, it was the Chinese who made the next greatest impact after Russia, qualifying in seven categories, namely, light flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, welterweight, middleweight, heavyweight and super heavyweight.

Other Beijing-bound countries, as far as boxing is concerned, are Italy, England, Colombia, South Korea Turkey, Armenia, Thailand, Venezuela, Kazakhstan, Germany, Ukraine, Dominican Republic, Japan, Iran, France, Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania, Moldova, Croatia and Canada.