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Boxing: Sofiane Oumiha on the way to Tokyo

2021-06-07T04:02:45.419Z


The silver medalist in Rio qualified without trembling for the Olympics this summer. Two young women, Maïva Hamadouche and Emilie Sonvico, will have to take the route of repechage.


France will be able to count on a strong asset in boxing in Tokyo: Sofiane Oumiha (-63 kg), Olympic vice-champion in Rio in 2016, held his rank and qualified for the Olympic Games, Saturday in Villebon-sur -Yvette. The Toulousain (26 years old) thus joins Billal Bennama (-52 kg) and Samuel Kistohurry (-57 kg), the two Tricolors who had won their place in March 2020 during the TQO organized in London just before his sudden interruption in the height of Covid-19. For Oumiha, this success marks the end of a very long wait. The Frenchman had been cut off in his tracks a year ago in the British capital when he had only one fight to win to be assured of the trip to Japan. After waiting fifteen months, he has fulfilled his contract perfectly and can pursue his Olympic dream.

Largely superior to his opponent in the round of 16, the Moldovan Alexandru Paraschiv, Oumiha did not leave room for suspense, logically winning on points to obtain one of the eight sesames at stake in his category, before being at length congratulated by the Minister of Sports Roxana Maracineanu. More mobile and more precise, the Frenchman mastered his subject even if Paraschiv turned out to be tougher than expected and shook him somewhat in the second round. But not enough to stop Oumiha in his quest for this gold medal which has been his obsession since his failure in the Olympic final in 2016. “I am getting closer to this medal that I have been looking for a while, he reacted. That's why I decided to continue the adventure in Olympic boxing. Today that was not the end. There wasapprehension, I have waited so much for this moment. But we managed to stay focused, so I'm very happy. Now we will try to go to the end of this tournament. ”

Hamadouche and Sonvico in repechage

Even if he has his ticket already in his pocket, the objective for Oumiha is now to go as far as possible in this TQO, just to afford a life-size test before the Olympics, where he will be there. one of the main French chances for a gold medal in boxing. The Tokyo Games will however be his ultimate challenge among amateurs since he turned professional at the start of the year by engaging with the renowned English promoter Franck Warren, who notably takes care of the WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and managed the careers of some big names in British boxing in recent years (Prince Naseem Hamed, Ricky Hatton, Frank Bruno, Amir Khan). A first fight was scheduled for March in Poland before being canceled due to the health situation.Oumiha may not be the only pro with the Blues in Tokyo. Maïva Hamadouche, holder of the IBF world super-feather belt, was largely dominated in points in the quarter-finals by Irishman Kellie Harrington but she will have a draft to play on Monday. Just like Emilie Sonvico, dominated by the 2019 world champion, the Italian Angelina Carini, but who also has the route of repechage to fly to Tokyo.but to whom there is also the way of the repechage to fly to Tokyo.but to whom there is also the way of the repechage to fly to Tokyo.

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Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2021-06-07

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