Paris 2024 Boxing Africa Qualifier: Lure of fourth Olympics keeps Mauritian Richarno Colin in the Dakar ring
The continental qualifying event for Paris 2024 runs from 9-15 September with 18 Olympic spots up for grabs. From Wednesday, the competition will be streamed live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the official Olympics app for mobile devices.
Boxing
Richarno Colin looked as good as ever as he began his bid to make Paris 2024 on Sunday (10 September).
The 36-year-old from Mauritius showed his experience in the Dakar Arena, controlling his 63.5kg bout against Senegal’s Souleymane Diallo.
The 2011 African Games champion boxed tactically and earned a 4-1 split decision to move him a step closer to becoming the third African boxer to compete at four Olympic Games.
“I was teasing my opponent at first, to see how he would react. But in the end, I stuck to the game plan, and it worked,” he told Olympics.com after his bout.
“I’m super focussed and now already thinking of the next fight. I want to think about the final, but I have to take it step by step.”
Algerian Abdelhafid Benchabla (2008-20) and Egypt’s Mohamed Hikal (2000-12) are the only two African boxers to compete at four editions of the Olympics.
The highlight of the morning session was an entertaining 63.5kg contest between Ghana’s Joseph Commey and Tokyo 2020 Olympian Fiston Mulumba from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
They slugged it out from the bell with both men throwing heavy shots and combinations. And it was Commey - who won silver at last year's Commonwealth Games - who was awarded a 3-2 split decision much to the dismay of Mulumba's corner.
African champions Jugurtha Ait Bekka and Laure Ngoune fight on
Reigning African men’s 63.5kg champion Jugurtha Ait Bekka eased through his opening bout in the Senegalese capital with the Algerian beating Zambia’s Andrew Chilata by unanimous points decision.
Kenya's 'Hit Squad', who camped in Havana and trained with the famed Cuban boxing team prior to the qualifiers, had a tough second day in the ring.
Tokyo 2020 qualifier Christine Ongare and Amina Martha, were both eliminated on unanimous decisions in their preliminary bouts.
Hafsi Wafa of Tunisia celebrated her well-deserved victory over Ongare in the 50kg class, while Martha, the Kenyan who overcame a traumatic childhood to become a national boxing champion, was outboxed by last year's African 54kg champion, Sara Haghighat-Joo of Sierra Leone.
Also at 50kg, Cameroon's African women's 52kg champion Laure Ngoune was made to work before winning a unanimous decision against Liberia’s Zinnah Fanhbulleh.
“I felt I was behind and as I don't like the defeat, it gave me the courage to come back,” Ngoune said of her flurry of punches in the third round.
“Of course, being an African Champion there is added pressure, this is why I gave it all in the ring. I want to qualify for the Olympics so bad.”
Another contender, Algeria's Tokyo 2020 Olympian Roumaysa Boualam had a short day's work as she stopped Namibia’s Peyehafo Ngesheya in round two of their second-round contest.
Laure Ngoune of Cameroon (in red) competes against Liberia's Zinnah Fanhbulleh at the Africa Boxing Qualifier in Dakar
Favourites Mohamed Assaghir and Steve Kulenguluka post convincing wins
In the men's 80kg division, Morocco's Mohamed Assaghir overcame Equatorial Guinea's Maximiliano Bibang by unanimous decision.
Tokyo 2020 Olympian Assaghir, who won the 86kg title at last month's African Championships, dedicated his victory to the hundreds who perished in Friday's earthquake in his homeland.
He also told Olympics.com, “This tournament puts a lot more pressure on us as it’s our best chance to qualify and we all have the same goal. I want to get that ticket for my nation."
Namibia's Gebhard Tonateni Ipinge roared at the end of his punch-packed rounds and earned a unanimous decision in his bout with Ivorian Emanuel Nzewi.
Staying at 80kg, and Tanzania’s experienced amateur Lucasi Changalawe, who made the quarter-finals in Yaounde last month, was awarded a 3-2 split decision victory over Democratic Republic of Congo’s African champion Anauël Ngamissengue Mpi.
Changalawe, a Commonwealth Games bronze medallist last year, said, "I am back for revenge to get the medal I deserved to win and show my toughness at this big stage. I am here to restore Tanzanian and East African boxing’s glory by qualifying for the Olympics."
That was after another Congolese, Steve Kulenguluka, celebrated a clear victory over Nigerian champion Abiola Fatai at 71kg.
Paris 2024 Boxing Africa Qualifier in Dakar - full schedule
Sunday 10 September
- Women's 50kg round of 32
- Women's 54kg round of 32 & 16
- Men's 63.5kg round of 32
- Men's 71kg round of 32 &6
- Men's 80kg round of 32 & 16
Monday 11 September
- Men's 63.5kg round of 32
- Men's 92kg round of 16
- Women's 57kg round of 16
- Women's 66kg round of 16
- Men's 51kg round of 16
- Men's 57kg round of 32
- Men's 63.5kg round of 16
- Men's 92kg round of 32
Tuesday 12 September
- Rest day
Wednesday 13 September
- Women's 50kg round of 16
- Women's 54kg quarter-finals
- Women's 60kg quarter-finals
- Women's 75kg quarter-finals
- Men's 57kg quarter-finals
- Men's 71kg quarter-finals
- Men's 92kg quarter-finals
- Men's +92kg quarter-finals
- Women's 50kg quarter-finals
- Women's 57kg quarter-finals
- Women's 66kg quarter-finals
- Men's 51kg quarter-finals
- Men's 63.5kg quarter-finals
- Men's 80kg quarter-finals
Thursday 14 September
- Women's 54kg semi-finals (to decide two Paris 2024 quota spots)
- Women's 60kg semi-finals (to decide two Paris 2024 quota spots)
- Women's 75kg semi-finals
- Men's 57kg semi-finals
- Men's 71kg semi-finals
- Men's 92kg semi-finals
- Men's +92kg semi-finals
- Women's 50kg semi-finals (to decide two Paris 2024 quota spots)
- Women's 57kg semi-finals (to decide two Paris 2024 quota spots)
- Women's 66kg semi-finals (to decide two Paris 2024 quota spots)
- Men's 51kg semi-finals
- Men's 63.5kg semi-finals
- Men's 80kg semi-finals
Friday 15 September
- Women's 54kg final
- Women's 60kg final
- Women's 75kg final (to decide Paris 2024 quota spot)
- Men's 57kg final (to decide Paris 2024 quota spot)
- Men's 71kg final (to decide Paris 2024 quota spot)
- Men's 92kg final (to decide Paris 2024 quota spot)
- Men's +92kg final (to decide Paris 2024 quota spot)
- Women's 50kg final
- Women's 57kg final
- Women's 66kg final
- Men's 51kg final (to decide Paris 2024 quota spot)
- Men's 63.5kg final (to decide Paris 2024 quota spot)
- Men's 80kg final (to decide Paris 2024 quota spot)
How to watch the Paris 2024 Boxing Africa Qualifier in Dakar
All the action from the quarter-finals onwards - from Wednesday 13 September - will be streamed live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the official Olympics app for mobile devices.