Asian Boxing Championship: Iranian Athletes Miss Olympic Qualification

In the continuation of the 22nd Asian Boxing Championship, the Iranian national boxing team held three matches on Friday night, losing all three to their opponents. According to IRNA news agency, the head of the Iranian national boxing team stated in a phone interview on Saturday that with the defeats on Friday night, the players of the national team failed to qualify for the final stage of the competition and consequently, the Olympic Games. A total of 173 boxers from 29 Asian countries participated in the 22nd Asian Boxing Championship, and the first and second place winners in each weight category will qualify for the 2004 Athens Olympics. "Fathollah Saberi Niaki" further mentioned that in the 64 kg category, "Reza Qasemi" faced a Filipino opponent, in the 81 kg category, "Taher Jabari" faced a Chinese opponent, and in the 91 kg category, "Ali Mazaheri" faced a Kazakh opponent, with all three losing their matches. He expressed regret over these results, stating that the country's boxers made a good effort, but ultimately, these efforts did not yield results. The head of the Iranian national boxing team added that with these results, the national team will compete for bronze medals in the 64, 81, and 91 kg categories tonight (Saturday night). The 22nd Asian Boxing Championship began last Tuesday in "Port-au-Prince", Philippines, and will conclude tonight with the final matches. The Iranian national boxing team will travel to Manila, the capital of the Philippines, on Sunday and will return to Tehran via Bangkok, the capital of Thailand.