Arab Boxing Competition Begins in Sana’a
By NY Staff
The international contenders for the 2013 Arab Boxing Championships have arrived in Yemen for the September 9th commencement of the tournament. Delegations from around the globe will gather today in Sana’a’s 22 May Hall, where extensive arrangements have been made by the Preparations Committee in anticipation of the event. Event planners are proud that the event will be taking place despite concerns over Yemen’s security and logistical challenges.
This will be the first time in Yemen’s history that it has hosted an event of this scale, and the limited seating in 22 May Hall have already been completely booked. Sana’a citizens eager to witness Yemen’s first-ever international boxing competition have been ardently seeking a means to attend.
The event will be attended by a number of Yemeni politicians and diplomats, all keen to witness the premier event. The competitors themselves hail from Greece, Luxembourg, Albania, the Netherlands, Tunisia, Italy, France, Germany, Iraq, Spain, Belgium, and Yemen. Yemenis were particularly eager to welcome the return of Yemeni champion Naseem Hamed, for whom Yemeni fans have high hopes.
The International Arab Boxing Federation has provided Yemen with the boxing ring and medical necessities needed to successfully run the championship. The tournament will go through six bouts in the welterweight class (>74kg), the midweight class (>63 kg), the lightweight class (>60kg), the half heavyweight class (>84 kg) and the featherweight class (>57 kg).
