Boxing-No medals for Seychelles pugilists in Beijing |22 November 2007

Julie made a flying start in the preliminaries of the 69-kg category on the second day of the competition, winning a quarterfinal berth by beating Kianqkrai Sukkhum from Thailand 23-12.

Gold medallist at the Seventh Indian Ocean Islands Games in Madagascar in August and African 64-kg champion in 2004, Julie lost on points – 11-27 – to Kanat Orakbayev of Kazakhstan in the quarters.

After winning a bye straight into the quarterfinals, Dave César, who fought in the 51-kg category, was dominated by Englishman Paul Butler on a score of 18-13.

In the 60-kg preliminaries, Jean-Paul Mellie succumbed to a 6-26 defeat at the hands of Chinese Li Sijia who then lost 15-18 to South African Owethu Mbira in the quarterfinal.
The three boxers, together with coach Roland Raforme and referee/judge Edmond Folette are expected back on Saturday morning.

Contested at the Beijing Workers Stadium, the ‘Good Luck Beijing’ 2007 International Boxing Tournament served as a warm-up and rehearsal prior to the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

More than 70 boxers from 17 countries and regions, including 12 from the Chinese mainland, participated in the tournament.

 G. G.