SPORTS
OLYMPIC AMATEUR BOXING QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT ENDS IN BAKU
Taking into account the great attention to the sports in Azerbaijan, AIBA initiated to give Olympic qualifying status to the tournament.
The tournament commenced April 27 involved about 100 athletes from 34 countries competing in 6 weight classes. Azerbaijan was represented by 4 athletes - Jeyhun Abiyev /48 kg/, Agasi Mammadov /54 kg/, Ali Ismayilov /81 kg/, Ilgar Mammadov /above 91 kg/. Under the tournament’s conditions, finalists in finalists in 48 kg, 54 kg, 60 kg, 69 kg, 81 kg and above 91 kg weight classes will be enabled to participate in the upcoming Olympic Games.
According to the results of final bouts the winning places were distributed as follows: in 48 kg weight class, Jeyhun Abiyev /Azerbaijan/ ranked first, Atagun Yalchinkaya /Turkey/ - second, Vyacheslav Gojan /Moldova/ - third. In 54 kg weight class, Agasi Mammadov /Azerbaijan/ became the winner, Khavaji Khatsigov /Belarus/ ranked second, bronze medal was won by Turkish athlete Serdar Avchi.
In the 60 kg weight class, the winning places were secured by the athletes in the following order: Murat Khrachev /Russia/, Vladimir Kravets /Ukraine/, Mariusz Koperski /Poland/.
In the 69 kg weight class, the winning places were secured by the athletes in the following order: Bulent Ulusoy /Turkey/, Vitaliy Grushach /Moldova/, Nail Perking /England/.
In the 81 kg weight class the gold medal was won by Ali Ismayilov /Azerbaijan/, silver medal - by Magomed Arifhajiyev /Belarus/, bronze medal - by Constantine Bejenaru /Romania/.
In the above 91 kg weight category, the first place was secured by Alexey Mazikin /Ukraine/, the second - by Marius Vach /Poland/, the third place - by Ilgar Mammadov /Azerbaijan/.
The most qualified boxer of the tournament Jeyhun Abiyev was awarded a special cup while the best athlete Alexey Mazikin got the crystal glove.
Azerbaijani athletes won 3 licenses to the Olympic games 2004. Thus, Azerbaijani boxing team has 9 licenses.
National team of Azerbaijan has won 32 licenses so far.