Lausanne, August 12, 2014: – A wonderfully talented squad of welterweight boxers will make up the AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) 69kg category with multiple champions, former Olympians and well-established professionals confirmed to take part.
Amongst the star-studded pack of boxers in the division is the former European Union title holder in the pro ranks Marcos Nader, who is widely regarded as the most successful Austrian boxer of this era, and who will carry the expectations of a whole nation when he steps into the ring at APB. His eyes are firmly set on qualification for Rio 2016, where he will have the chance to create history and secure boxing success for Austria at the Olympic Games.
Speaking today at a press conference in Vienna, where the Austrian Boxing Federation and APB announced his signing, Nader said:
“I have been approached by many promoters recently with various offers, however it is clear that nobody is able to offer me the great opportunity that APB can – to qualify for the Olympic Games and realize the ultimate goal of any athlete. It is very important for me that AIBA is aiming to identify authentic champions in each weight category through this competition via a merit-based ranking system.
“I am looking forward to the wonderful challenge that APB brings, as the competition in my category will be really tough. I will do my best to qualify for the Olympic Games and then obviously to bring home a medal for Austria.”
The President of the European Confederation Mr. Franco Falcinelli, Vice-President of AIBA and Member of the AIBA Executive Committee, who also attended the press-conference in Vienna, added: “Marcos has every chance of achieving the Olympic dream for Austria in 2016. This would be an excellent achievement for him and for the whole country.”
Daniel Nader, coach and brother to Marcos Nader, said: “The participation of Marcos in such a prestigious competition program as APB is also crucial for the development of our beloved sport on a national basis. It will boost its popularity, raise the profile of its stars, develop role models for future generations and increase the participation in boxing at grassroots level.”
Joining the mercurial Nader at 69kg are Russian 2012 Olympic Games bronze medallist Andrey Zamkovoy and German Arajik Marutijan, the bronze medallist at the 2013 AIBA World Boxing Championships in Almaty.
Azerbaijani battler and former WBO European champion Fariz Mammadov lines up alongside Hungary’s hugely experienced double Olympian and double AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Gyula Kate.
Completing the line-up are Turkish 2008 Olympian Onur Sipal, Kenyan All-Africa Games bronze medallist Rayton Okwiri and 2007 European Junior Boxing Championships gold medallist Denys Lazarev from Ukraine, who are all looking to make their name in APB and grasp a coveted qualification place for Rio 2016. —- AIBA
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