Aiba World Boxing Championships-Seychellois in search of Olympic tickets in Baku |27 September 2011

The four local fighters who are in Baku in search of qualification for next year’s London Olympic Games are Andrique Allisop (60kg), Kitson Julie (69kg), Jovette Jean (75kg) and Keddy Agnes (81kg) – all gold medallists at the 8th Indian Ocean Island Games Seychelles hosted.

Drawn against Dariel Ebanks of the Cayman Islands, Agnes will be the first Seychellois in action tomorrow night at the Heydar Aliyev Sport and Concert Complex.

There are 56 boxers in the light heavy weight (81kg) class.
Welterweight boxer Julie will enter the ring in the 69kg division on Thursday afternoon against Canadian Custio Clayton

A total of 63 fighters are gunning for medals in this category.

Allisop’s opponent is Thai Saylom Ardee and they will exchange punches for a place in the next round of the lightweight (60kg) category during the afternoon of October 1 and in the evening, Jean will cross swords with Austrian Robert Jankovski in a middleweight (75kg) clash.

The motivation is very high in the team and all four fighters want to make the quota for the London Olympics, despite all of them losing at the first hurdle at the recent 10th All-Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique.

The Seychelles team arrived in Baku last Friday after spending Thursday night in England in transit. The four-man team are accompanied by Seychellois coach Jerry Legras and Russian counterpart Igor Kolesnikov.

A total of 570 boxers from 113 countries are competing in the 10 weight categories and all finals will take place on Saturday October 8.

The World Boxing Championships in Baku are the first international qualifying tournament for the London Olympics.

Boxers from the light flyweight through to light heavyweight classes have to finish in the top-10 to earn their tickets to next year’s Games.

G. G.