Morocco’s Widad Bertal scored a 3-2 victory over Thailand’s world championships bronze medallist Jutamas Jitpong to become the first African boxer to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Paris Olympics.
The Morrocan is now the third African boxer to win her fight.
She will meet either Nigina Uktamova of Uzbekistan or Chol-mi Pang of North Korea in the quarter-finals.
Bertal is now within a heartbeat of a historic Olympic medal.
Meanwhile, Patrick Chinyemba beat India’s Amit Panghal fair and square to join Morocco’s Widad Bertal in the quarter-finals.
The Zambian boxer was on top of his game, carrying the fight to his southpaw Indian opponent and there was no doubt as to who would win the fight.
With that victory, Chinyemba has avenged the controversial defeat he suffered to Panghal in the semi-finals of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Credit: AFBC Communications
