Li Qian of China (in blue) and Naomi Graham of USA (in red) compete during their women's Middle (75kg) category semi-final fight at the 2018 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships in New Delhi on Nov 23, 2018. (CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)
AMMAN, Jordan - Four Chinese boxers sealed their places at the Tokyo Olympics as they moved into the semifinals of the Asian/Oceanian Olympic qualifiers here on Sunday.
Li Qian, the top seed in the women's 75kg division, was the first boxer of the qualifiers to book her Olympic spot after beating Mongolia's Myagmarjargal Munkhbat 5-0.
I'm so happy to qualify for the Olympic games and now I'm going to focus on doing my best the rest of the tournament to get a better seeding in Tokyo
Li Qian
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"I'm really happy that I was the first to box today because I felt fresh," Li said to the media after the match.
"I'm so happy to qualify for the Olympic games and now I'm going to focus on doing my best the rest of the tournament to get a better seeding in Tokyo," she added.
Li, the 2016 Rio Olympic bronze medalist, will next face Asian champion Pooja Rani of India in the semifinals.
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Compatriot Gu Hong, the No. 3 seed, qualified for her maiden Olympics after defeating Valentina Khalzova of Kazakhstan in the women's 69kg division.
In the men's qualifiers, China's Tanglatihan Erbieke beat the second seeded Seyedshahin Mousavi of Iran 3-2 in the 75kg category and 81kg boxer Chen Daxiang of China defeated India's Sachin Kumar 4-1 to qualify for the Olympics.
Gu Hong of China (in blue) and Nadine Apetz of Germany (in red) compete during their 69 kg category semi-final fight at the 2018 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships in New Delhi on Nov 22, 2018. (MONEY SHARMA / AFP)
India's Krishan Vikas (red) fights with China's Tanglatihan Erbieke (blue) in their men's middle (75kg) quarter-final boxing match at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta on Aug 29, 2018. (BAY ISMOYO / AFP)
