Two Belarusian boxers will start at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Italy
The international qualifying tournament for the 2024 Olympic Games “Boxing's Road to Paris” starts in Busto Arsizio, Italy, BELTA reports.More than 600 boxers from 114 countries will take part in the competition, who will determine the holders of 49 Olympic licenses. 28 tickets to Paris will be played in seven categories for men, and girls will compete for another 21 tickets to France in six weights. Among the license applicants are two Belarusian boxers - Alexander Radionov (up to 71 kg) and Alexey Alferov (up to 80 kg). Radionov’s first opponent on March 5 will be the American Omari Jones; Alferov will start in Busto Arsizio tomorrow with a fight against Shabbos Negmatulloev from Tajikistan. To become a participant in the 2024 Olympics, an athlete must reach the semi-final stage of the tournament.Last year, 139 out of 248 boxing licenses were competed at the championships of Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Oceania; our athletes did not take part in the continental championship. The starting tournament in Italy is not the last chance to get the coveted ticket - the final qualifying start will take place in Thailand in May.In addition, today in Montenegrin Budva the traditional international boxing competition among juniors and junior women 17-18 years old “Pearl of the Adriatic” will begin. Among the 270 participants in the tournament, also known as the Youth World Cup, there are three Belarusians - Ivan Sinyak (w/c up to 71 kg), Andrei Matskevich (up to 75 kg) and Andrei Rumyantsev (up to 86 kg). Juniors will determine the strongest in 13 weight categories, girls - in 12.