Hassan Ali Nasser Al-Kaabi returned with a gold medal at the Iraqi National Championships in Basra

The Iraqi National Championships for their elite male boxers finished in Basra where eight champions celebrated their successes. It was the first important selection competition in the country this year in Iraq where Hassan Ali Nasser Al-Kaabi returned with a gold medal. Experienced Sahm Qarrar Kadhim Al-Ezirej dominated the welterweight (69kg) while Reza Talib Jabbar won the strong middleweight (75kg).

Altogether 188 elite boxers attended in the Iraqi National Championships and all of them are well-prepared to the first goal of the new year. The Iraqi boxers trained mostly at home in the quarantine period of the Covid-19 pandemic, and returning to the gyms and to the national events were exciting moments for them.

The boxers represented all regions of Iraq and finally 50 boxing clubs sent their best boxers to the Iraqi National Championships. The Iraqi boxers have been preparing with full speed to the upcoming World Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event which took place in Paris, France this June which is their last chance to earn spots for the Tokyo Olympics. The new Iraqi National Championships will be decided the places in the national team. 

Army’s 28-year-old Hassan Ali Nasser Al-Kaabi moved up from the light flyweight (49kg) to the flyweight (52kg) in the recent period and proved his very best in Basra. He has done fast attacks in the semi-final against his main rival, former ASBC Asian Boxing Championships bronze medallist Mortadha Raad Qassim Al-Sudani and eliminated his strong opponent in an early final. Hassan Ali Nasser Al-Kaabi was too smart also for Alamara’s Moses Jafar Hashim in the final of the smallest weight category.

Alhasanin’s best boxer Mohamed Anwar Jassim moved ahead step by step in the National Championships and defeated also Kazem Jabbar Hussein of Tigris in the final of the featherweight (57kg). Army’s 25-year-old Jaafar Abdulredha Ali Al-Sudani moved up to the lightweight (63kg) but he was still enough tall and experienced to beat former Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament bronze medallist Ammar Jabbar Hassan Karbalai in the final.

Alatsalat’s first big hope Mortadha Raad Qassim Al-Sudani earned only bronze medal at the flyweight (52kg) in the new edition of the National Championships, but the club’s second strong favourite, Sahm Qarrar Kadhim Al-Ezirej accomplished his goal and won the title of the welterweight (69kg). The former AIBA Junior World Boxing Championships silver medallist Al-Ezirej dominated his final over Hussein Abd Falak.

Former ASBC Asian Youth Boxing Championships competitor 20-year-old Reza Talib Jabbar had to meet with his main rival in the final of the middleweight (75kg), Muntadher Tahseen Sahar Al-Farttoosi but he managed to win that contest and claimed gold medal in Basra. Khalil Ibrahim Khalil Karwi moved back to the light heavyweight (81kg) and his decision paid off in the final against Devar Ferhadi.

Saadi Tariq Mohammed Rabeah is another experienced Iraqi Army boxer who used up his international experiences to control his contests including the heavyweight (91kg) final against Ali Mohammed Qassem. His brother, another Army hope, Zaidon Tariq Mohammed Rabeah defended his throne in Basra following his success over Almithaq’s Haidar Hussein Glob in the final of the super heavyweight (+91kg).

List of the winners in the Iraqi National Championships
52kg: Hassan Ali Nasser Al-Kaabi
57kg: Mohamed Anwar Jassim
63kg: Jaafar Abdulredha Ali Al-Sudani
69kg: Sahm Qarrar Kadhim Al-Ezirej
75kg: Reza Talib Jabbar
81kg: Khalil Ibrahim Khalil Karwi
91kg: Saadi Tariq Mohammed Rabeah
+91kg: Zaidon Tariq Mohammed Rabeah

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