Andrew Selby and Khalid Yafai to box-off for an Olympic place at the GB Amateur Boxing Championships
The British Amateur Boxing Association (BABA) has announced that Wales', Andrew Selby, and Khalid Yafai from England will box-off for an Olympic place at the forthcoming GB Amateur Boxing Championships at York Hall in London on 11 and 12 November 2012.rn
The outcome will determine which of the two flyweights (52kg) will compete at the London 2012 Olympics after both boxers achieved the qualifying standard at the recent World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The box-off has been sanctioned by the international governing body, AIBA, and will be a best of three contest. The first two bouts will be held on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th November 2011. If a third bout is required it will take place at the Olympic test event at the Excel Arena from 23-27 November 2011.
The box-off will be the main event of the GB Amateur Boxing Championships, which aims to identify the best male and female boxers in Great Britain, and pits the top amateurs selected by the Amateur Boxing Associations (ABAs) of Scotland, England and Wales against members of GB Boxing's Podium Squad.
Qualifying places for 2012 are up-for-grabs in a number of weight categories and the GB Championships is an opportunity for boxers to make a case for selection in next year's final Olympic qualifying events in April (men) and May (women).
The Championships will cover 10 male and one female weight category. The finals of all 11 categories will be held on Saturday afternoon.
Tickets for the event are available through Ticketmaster at a discounted rate until FRIDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2011 and can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.co.uk or by calling 0844 847 2500.
Tickets for Saturday's finals are priced at: £5, £15, £20 and £25 (ringside). Doors open at 11.30am and boxing will begin at 12.30pm. Tickets for the semi-finals on Friday are priced at: £1, £3, £5 and £10 (ringside). Doors open at 1.30pm. There is only limited availability for what is expected to be a busy event and tickets will be sold on a first come first served basis.
The line-up for the Championships was announced today and covers 10 male and one female weight category. Semi-finals will be on Friday and the 11 finals will be on Saturday.
The weight categories where Olympic places are still available are light-flyweight (49kg), men and women's lightweight (60kg), middleweight (75kg), light-heavyweight (91kg) and heavyweight (91kg).
Two of the most hotly contested categories are expected to be the men's light-heavyweight and the women's lightweight category.
GB Boxing does not currently have a Podium boxer at light-heavyweight, so it is an opportunity for Lawrence Osueke (Great Britain) and Deion Jumah (England) from the Development squad and Scotland's James Cunningham to secure pole position ahead of next April's Olympic qualifier in Turkey.
In the women's Olympic lightweight category, Chantelle Cameron (GB) will compete against fellow GB Boxing squad member, Amanda Coulson (England), to establish supremacy ahead of next May's Olympic qualifier in China.
In the other weight categories where Olympic places are still available:
- At Heavyweight, Sunderland's Warren Baister has been selected for Great Britain and will compete against Lloyd Davies from Wales, Stephen Lovelle from Scotland and Ben Llyemi for England.
- At lightweight, the 2010 European Silver medallist, Iain Weaver has been selected to compete for Great Britain and will get a chance to stake his claim for Olympic selection against Joe Cordina from Wales, Charlie Flynn from Scotland and Sam Maxwell from England.
- In the 75kg middleweight category, 2010 Commonwealth Games silver medallist, Callum Smith (GB) will face Warren Sinden from Wales, Tommy Philbin from Scotland and John Dignum from England.
- In the 49kg category, last year's Champion, Charlie Edwards has the opportunity to retain his crown and his status as Great Britain's top light-flyweight against Ben Baker from Wales and England's Mohammed Waqas.
Rob McCracken, Performance Director, British Amateur Boxing Association (BABA) said: "This will be a high quality tournament and reflects the huge depth of talent we have in amateur boxing in Great Britain at the present time. It will influence the make-up of the GB boxing squad as we head into 2012 and is an opportunity for the competitors to put themselves in the frame for possible selection at next year's Olympic qualifiers."
A full list of selections is below:
P - GB Boxing Podium Squad
D - GB Boxing Development Squad
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Great Britain
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England
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Scotland
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Wales
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Light Flyweight, 49Kg
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Charlie Edwards - P
Lynn ABC, London
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Mohammed Waqas
Southbank ABC, Middlesbrough
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Ben Baker
Tenby
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Flyweight, 52Kg
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Khalid Yafai - P
Birmingham City
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Andrew Selby - P
Splott, Barry
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Bantamweight, 56Kg
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Gamal Yafai - P
Birmingham City
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Alimaan Hussain,
Aston Police, Birmingham
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Joe Ham Renfrewshire ABC, Paisley
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Sean McGoldrick - D
St Joseph's, Cardiff
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Lightweight, 60Kg
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Iain Weaver - P
Golden Ring, Ferndown
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Sam Maxwell,
Salisbury, Liverpool
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Charlie Flynn
Newarthill, Motherwell
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Joe Cordina - D
St Able ABC, Cardiff
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Light welterweight, 64Kg
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Danny Phillips - P
Southbank, Middlesbrough
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Louis Adolphe
Earslfield, London
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Josh Taylor - D
Lochend, Edinburgh
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Chris Jenkins
Cwmgors, West Glamorgan
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Welterweight, 69Kg
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Anthony Fowler - D
Golden Gloves, Liverpool
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Thomas Langford
Hall Green, Birmingham
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Aston Brown - D
Renfrewshire ABC, Paisley
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Jamie Evans
Penydarren, Merthyr Tydfil
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Middleweight, 75Kg
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Callum Smith - P
Rotunda, Liverpool
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John Dignum,
Brentwood Youth, Essex
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Tommy Philbin
Lochend, Edinburgh
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Warren Sinden
Welshpool ABC
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Light heavyweight, 81Kg
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Lawrence Osueke - D Newcastle College
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Deion Jumah - D
Dale Youth, London
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James Cunningham
Dennistoun McNair ABC. Glasgow
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Heavyweight, 91kg
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Warren Baister - P
Sunderland ABC
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Ben Llyemi
Dale Youth, London
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Stephen Lovelle
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Lloyd Davies
Kyber Colts, Rhondda
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Super Heavyweight, 91kg+
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Frazer Clarke - D
Burton ABC
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Joe Joyce
Finchley, London
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Ross Henderson
Springhill ABC, Shotts
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GB Boxing
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England
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Scotland
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Wales
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Lightweight, 60Kg
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Chantelle Cameron - P
Kings Heath, Northampton
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Amanda Coulson - P
Hartlepool Catholic Club
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In the women's 75kg weight category there will be an international bout featuring GB Boxing's World Silver and European bronze medallist, Savannah Marshall on the Saturday afternoon.
The draw for the competition will be held in November. In those categories where there are only two or three competitors, some will receive a bye into the Final.