Day-3 of the Boxing Road to Tokyo Asian/Oceanian qualifier in Amman turned into a stage of success for the home team, as Jordan’s Odai Riyad Adel ALHINDAWI and Obada Mohammad Mustafa ALKASBEH advanced to their respective quarter-finals.
Odai Riyad Adel ALHINDAWI dominated his bout against number 4 seed Jolando TAALA from American Samoa, winning in the Men’s Light Heavyweight category (75-81kg) with a unanimous decision after three excellent rounds.
His teammate, Obada Mohammad Mustafa ALKASBEH, secured a victory in the Men’s Lightweight event (57-63kg), beating Japan’s NARIMATSU Daisuke. Supported by the home crowd at the Prince Hamza Hall, he gave his best in the third round to snatch a split decision in his favour and advance in the brackets.
ALKASBEH, a 2016 Olympian looking for a spot at the 2020 Games, said: “Nothing was going to stop me in there. I felt I had all of Jordan behind me. The crowd was fantastic, I would like to thank all the fans who showed up at the venue today. My opponent was very strong, but I felt stronger as the fight went on and I was landing more punches. I was very happy with my performance.”
In the quarter-finals – the gateway to an Olympic qualification here in Amman – he will meet top-seeded Bakhodur USMONOV of Tajikistan, who cleared his fight with Shanil SHAHI of Nepal with a unanimous decision this morning.
“He is good fighter, but to reach Tokyo you have to beat the best,” commented ALKASBEH, who will face him on the ring on Monday. “I will not stop until I reach Tokyo, and I will fight anyone in front of me to get there.”
ALHINDAWI, on his side, will share the ring with Jakkapong YOMKHOT of Thailand in his category’s quarter-finals on Sunday. “I followed the advice of my coach, but felt I wasn’t at my best today. I was at about 70 per cent, so I can’t wait for Sunday now to show what I am capable of,” he said. “The next bout is life or death, as victory means the Olympic Games and a dream come true.”
In the same weight category, the top seed and current world champion, Bekzad NURDAULETOV from Kazakhstan, beat New Zealand’s Jerome PAMPELLONE with a unanimous decision, while it was Shabbos NEGMATULLOEV of Tajikistan who outscored Faizullah ARYUBI from Afghanistan to book a spot in the round of eight.
In the afternoon’s session, Uzbekistan’s Fanat KAKHRAMONOV dominated the Men’s Middleweight (69-75kg) round-of-16 bout, beating top-seeded boxer Jancen POUTOA of American Samoa by a unanimous decision. The world number six and top-seed in the same weight category, Eumir MARCIAL of the Philippines, advanced to the quarter-final with a win over Australia’s Kirra RUSTON by a unanimous decision. There, he will meet Byamba-Erdene OTGONBAATAR of Mongolia, who secured a sharp victory against Syria’s Ahmad GHOUSOON today.
The Boxing Road to Tokyo Asian/Oceanian qualifier in Amman runs until 11March. There, 221 athletes (151 men and 70 women) from 35 countries are competing for 63 Olympic quota places in 13 weight categories (eight men’s and five women’s events).
Find all the results from Amman’s day-3 here: morning session, afternoon session, and the detailed competition schedule here.
Follow the action live
Fans can watch the action live on the Olympic Channel, with all the women’s and men’s bouts across all weight categories available with commentary in English, Russian and Hindi, beginning on 3 March at 11 a.m. EET (local time). Coverage will be available in all territories worldwide for free at olympicchannel.com and on its apps for mobile and connected TV devices.
News, photos and results will be posted online on the dedicated Amman qualifier page of the Athlete365 Boxing Corner platform. We encourage fans to join the conversation online using the hashtag #Boxing.
