Boxing: African Olympic qualifier in Algeria-César and Mellie in Algeria, Julie stays home |22 January 2008

A third pugilist – Kitson Julie – stayed behind for unclear reasons although Sports Nation learned yesterday that the 69-kg boxer could make the trip on another day.

It is to note that this is not the first time Julie, Seychelles’ only African Championship gold medallist so far and that was in 2004 in Botswana in the 64-kg division, has stayed behind when he was supposed to travel abroad to represent Seychelles.

One of Seychelles’ three gold medallists at the Seventh Indian Ocean Islands Games (IOIG) in Madagascar, Julie refused to go to Kampala, Uganda, to compete in the King’s Cup International Boxing Tournament and did not even come to the Seychelles International Airport on the afternoon of Sunday June 26, 2005.

A total of 32 boxers are to participate in the competition in Algeria. Those who fail to qualify will have another chance at the next Africa round slated for March 22 to April 2 in Windhoek, Namibia. Africa will be represented by 60 boxers at the Beijing Olympic Games.

It is worth noting that the Seventh All-Africa Games in Algeria in July, 2007 where 22 finalists earned berths for Beijing, was to be the continent's first qualifier.

G. G.