ON a thrilling day for GB boxing, Friday saw eight Britons qualifying for the 2016 Olympic Games at the European qualification tournament in Samsun, Turkey.
Joining Nicola Adams, Galal Yafai and Qais Ashfaq as Rio Olympians, Muhammad Ali overwhelmed flyweight rival Daniel Asenov, winning a unanimous decision. At 60kgs Joe Cordina worked his way round the furious charge of Ireland’s David Oliver Joyce, claiming a unanimous points win.
Light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi went toe-to-toe with Ukraine’s Oleksandr Khyzhniak emerging with a unanimous victory.
In a spectacular performance international newcomer Lawrence Okolie detonated bombs with either hand in his battle with elite 91kgs Abdulkadir Abdullayev of Azerbaijan to make sure of a unanimous points win. To add the final flourish GB super-heavyweight Joe Joyce hammered Hungary’s Istvan Bernath to defeat inside three rounds.
Middleweight Antony Fowler has the chance to join them if he wins Saturday’s box-off for third place in the tournament.
