2007 All-Africa Games begin Wednesday in Algiers

[emile]

Will run from July 11-23, with boxing going from July 12-21. I believe (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong), that the boxing competition will qualify two fighters for the 2008 Olympics (and one at 201, 201+). I believe this is the first Olympic qualifying event, so good luck to all.

[emile]

Heading into the quarterfinals today. One of the big surprises was that Mohammed Hikal of Egypt, probably Africa's most accomplished international fighter, has already been knocked out of the competition.

[jtyson]

i was shocked to see Hikal lose, and even more shocked that the Algerian super-heavyweight Newfel Ouatah got beat, and so badly by Cameroon's Remy Atsama 30-15.

I thought Ouatah would breeze through considering how easily he won the African Championship this year and is a 2x Algerian National Champion and 5x French National Champion.

[emile]

I'm a bit confused by today's results, because the fighter with the lower score is being listed as the winner - so I don't know which to believe. It says Ouateh is the winner, but has him losing 30-15.

[jtyson]

yea i just noticed that too. I wouldnt be surpised though. I have been following the results on that page since the boxing began and there has been several mistakes. On todays results there is a lot of the lower scores being called the winner.

[emile]

Apparently, the scores were all reversed from yesterday, so it makes a little more sense now. Final pairings (I think these are right). Ghana doing quite well, while the North Africans are dominating with the sub-Saharan nations complaining bitterly about the judging.

48kg Manyo Plange (Ghana) vs Suleiman Bilali (Kenya)
51kg Jackson Chauke (South Africa) vs Abdelrahman Mechnoui (Algeria)
54kg Issah Samir (Ghana) vs Abdourahim Ouradi (Algeria)
57kg Abdelkader Chadi (Algeria) vs Alaa Shili (Tunisia)
60kg Gaber Yasin (Egypt) vs Saifeddine Nejmaoui (Tunisia)
64kg Herbert Nkabiti (Botswana) vs Hastings Bwalya (Zambia)
69kg Rached Mardassi (Tunisia) vs Bastie Samir (Ghana)
75kg Ahmed Saraku (Ghana) vs Nabil Kassel (Algeria)
81kg Ranadan Abdelghafar (Egypt) vs Abdelhafid Benchebla (Algeria)
91kg Lateef Kayode (Nigeria) vs Mourad Sahraoui (Tunisia)
91+ Newfal Ouateh (Algeria) vs Abdelhalim Amad (Egypt)

[jtyson]

Yea that makes more sense. Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia are being represented with 13 of the 22 finalists.

Im also not sure, but i believe these 22 are the first to quailfy for the 2008 Olympic Games

[emile]

Finals

48kg Suleiman Bilali (Kenya) d Manyo Plange (Ghana) 24-7
51kg Abdelrahman Mechnoui (Algeria) d Jackson Chauke (South Africa) 8-3
54kg Abdourahim Ouraid (Algeria) d Issah Samir (Ghana) 9-6
57kg Abdelkadir Chadi (Algeria) d Alaa Shili (Tunisia) 23-6
60kg Saifeddine Nejmaoui (Tunisia) d Gaber Yasin (Egypt) 12-12
64kg Hastings Bwalya (Zambia) d Herbert Nkabiti (Botswana) 23-9
69kg Rached Mardassi (Tunisia) d Bastie Samir (Ghana) 20-12
75kg Nabil Kassel (Algeria) d Ahmed Saraku (Ghana) 9-8
81kg Abdelghafar Ranadan (Egypt) d Abdelhafid Benchebla (Algeria) 18-15
91+kg Abdelhalim Amad (Egypt) d Newfal Ouateh 17-8

[emile]

For the record, apparently these games did not qualify fighters for the Olympics. At least, that's what a Kenyan paper said. Apparently, the Worlds will be the first qualifier, and then in Africa they will have two qualifying events.

[JohnDoe]

I know I'm coming in a little late on this, but did anyone record these or do you know of anyone that did? Are there any African forum browsers here?

[boxmel]

For the record, apparently these games did not qualify fighters for the Olympics. At least, that's what a Kenyan paper said. Apparently, the Worlds will be the first qualifier, and then in Africa they will have two qualifying events.

This will be the qualifying route for everyone. Worlds first, and then continental qualifiers.