Gulf Countries Tournament

Saudi Arabia took five gold at the Gulf Countries Tournament while Bahrain joined to the event at the very first time

The Gulf Countries Tournament was held in the capital city of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh which is the region’s main international elite competition. Saudi Arabia was the host of the third edition of the Gulf Countries Tournament after Abu Dhabi and Kuwait City at the very first time and the host nation was able to win five gold medals.
Bahrain joined to the competition and the tiny island sent out their boxers to an international event at the very first time. Bahrain’s Hamad Husain and Abdullatif Ahmed claimed two bronze medals in the Gulf Countries Tournament in Riyadh which was their first step in the international events. The competition was held in ten weight classes from the 49 kg up to the +91 kg. The first gold medal of the Gulf Countries Tournament was won by United Arab Emirates’ Abdalla Al-Mulla who took part in the AIBA Asian & Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event in Qian’an a few weeks ago.
Sajad Ali Al-Jassas won the Saudi Arabian Youth National Championships two months ago and the 18-year-old boxer was involved to the elite team at the very first time. The Saudi teenager defeated United Arab Emirates’ Saddid Saad Mazher with impressive performance in spite of the fact his opponent was more experienced.
Samer Mousa Humaidi is the most experienced Saudi boxer who competed in the 2013 ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships and had enough technical skills to beat Qatar’s titleholder veteran Mohamed Abdullateef Sadeq in the final of the Bantamweight class (56 kg). Maher Ali Al-Basri won the gold medal at the Lightweight class (60 kg) which was Saudi Arabia’s third gold medal in the front of the home crowd.
Qatar’s German-descent Thulasi Tharumalingam competed in the AIBA Pro Boxing successfully therefore he was in a different level than his opponents in Riyadh where he won his contests by TKO. Qatar’s next gold medal was achieved by their ex-Syrian boxer Hzam Nabah who secured his third-in-a-row title at the Gulf Countries Tournament defeating Saudi Arabia’s Hassan Khal by unanimous decision at the Welterweight class (69 kg).
United Arab Emirates’ Ebrahim Al-Zaabi eliminated Saudi Arabia’s main favourite Salem Ahmed Faqihi in the semi-final and continued the winning path against Qatar’s new face Jamal Mubarak Al-Naser in the final of the Middleweight class (75 kg). Qatar’s Hakan Murst Nuraydin won his opening contest at the Doha 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships which was a big success for the 34-year-old Light Heavyweight class (81 kg) boxer who could stop Saudi Arabia’s Ahmed Jaber Al-Faifi by TKO in the second round.
Saudi Arabia dominated the two highest weight class in the Gulf Countries Tournament in Riyadh. Firstly Baker Salim Al-Khalidi defeated United Arab Emirates’ World Military Games quarter-finalist Qassim Al-Barout while secondly Arab Games quarter-finalist Turki Salim Sibyani was too strong for United Arab Emirates’ Hamad Al-Mesmari at the Super Heavyweight class (+91 kg).

Winners in the Gulf Countries Tournament

49 kg: Abdalla Al-Mulla, United Arab Emirates
52 kg: Sajad Al-Jassas, Saudi Arabia
56 kg: Samer Mousa Humaidi, Saudi Arabia
60 kg: Maher Ali Al-Basri, Saudi Arabia
64 kg: Thulasi Tharumalingam, Qatar
69 kg: Hzam Nabah, Qatar
75 kg: Ebrahim Al-Zaabi, United Arab Emirates
81 kg: Hakan Murst Nuraydin, Qatar
91 kg: Baker Salim Al-Khalidi, Saudi Arabia
+91 kg: Turki Salim Sibyani, Saudi Arabia