Boxing: Hossam Bakr becomes third ever Egyptian World Championship medalist

Eslam Omar , Thursday 15 Oct 2015

Bakr won Bronze and qualified for the Rio Olympic games, winning Egypt's fourth medal in the World Championships

Hosam Abdin
Hosam Abdin of Egypt, in red, fights Michael Oreilly of Ireland during the Middle weight final of the AIBA World Boxing Championships in Doha, Qatar, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2015. (AP Photo)

Middleweight boxer Hossam Bakr has become the third ever Egyptian to win a medal in the World Boxing Championships and the first in the past 10 years.

The 30-year-old won bronze after defeating Vikas Krishan Yadav of India 3-0 in the quarterfinals, but failed to make it to the finals after losing 3-0 in the semi-final to Cuban Arlen Lopez.

Lopez went on to win the gold, beating Bektemir Melikuziev of Uzbekistan in the 2015 World Championship that took place in Doha, Qatar.

The 2015 African Champion Bakr has also clinched his qualifying ticket to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, defeating the other semi-final loser, Ireland's Michael O'Reilly 3-0 in a box-off match Wednesday.

On his way through the semifinal, Bakr eliminated Max van der Pas of the Netherlands 3-0 in the 16th round.

Before Bakr, Egypt only won three bronze medals in the World Championships: two won by Light Flyweight Hassan Mustafa (1991 and 1993), and the last medal won by Middleweight's Mohammed Hikal in 2005.

"I am happy with my achievement and I am hoping I can win Egypt's first ever Olympic medal," he told an Egyptian television program Wednesday.

Bakr will hopefully have a better chance at the 2016 Olympics after his last appearance in 2008 in Welterweight competitions when he lost to the great boxer Banteaux of Cuba 3-10 in the quarterfinals.

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