Two more Brits qualify for Olympics by Ian McNeilly Mar 1st 2008

Team GB continued their incredible run of success by securing another two boxing places at the Beijing Olympics yesterday (Friday). Birmingham flyweight Khalid Yafai and London middleweight James DeGale became the fifth and sixth boxers respectively to qualify for the 2008 Games. Some brief info from the ABAE site here, with hopefully more detailed info to follow: 2pm The ABAE would like to congratulate Birmingham boxer Khalid Yafai, who will join team mates Frankie Gavin, Brad Saunders, Tony Jeffries and Joe Murray on the plane to Beijing in August! Khalid defeated Moldovan IIgor Samoilenco 13:11 3pm Stephen Smith was retired at the end of R1 with the score at 11:1 in favour of the Frenchman Khedafi Djelkhir. Rather than let Stephen get worn out pursuing a lost cause, GB Head Coach Terry Edwards pulled the boxer out. Stephen will box again tomorrow (today, Saturday) against German Wilhelm Gratschow in a third place box-off for an Olympic qualification birth. Extremely disappointing for Stephen. 4.30pm Billy Joe Saunders lost 13:15 to Ukrainian Olexandr Stretskyy. Billy Joe can, however, be proud of some fantastic performances in Pescara, there are still great things to come from the Hoddesdon lad. 5pm James DeGale puts in what has been described as a 'heart stopping performance' in Pescara. The Dale Youth middleweight found himself on the canvas in round two, but got back up to win 17:9. James is the sixth boxer to qualify for Beijing.

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