Ferdaws Najibi and Mujtaba Haidari, members of Afghanistan’s national boxing team, reached the semifinals at the Belt and Road Boxing Tournament in Urumqi, where competitors from 20 countries are participating, the national boxing federation said Wednesday.
Najibi defeated a Chinese opponent in the 80-kilogram youth category, while Haidari advanced in the 50-kilogram youth category following what the federation described as an impressive performance.
Other Afghan boxers were eliminated in earlier rounds. They included:
Mohammad Omid Kohistani (60 kg, senior) vs. China
Ebadullah al-Rahman Ibrahimi (80 kg, senior) vs. China
Sohrab Zamani (60 kg, junior) vs. Kyrgyzstan
Farhad Salgi (54 kg, junior) vs. India
Mohammad Zaki Habibi (46 kg, junior) vs. India
Ahmad Tamim Shaheer (66 kg, junior) vs. China
Another Afghan boxer, Tabesh Siddiqi, is scheduled to compete in the 75-kilogram junior category against an Indian opponent, according to the federation.
This is the third edition of the Belt and Road Boxing Tournament, hosted by China. More than 400 boxers, coaches and officials from 20 countries — including Afghanistan, China, Cuba, Kazakhstan, India and South Korea — are taking part.
