By IANS
Chicago : Jitender Kumar and Jai Bhagwan failed in their first attempts to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games when they lost their pre-quarterfinal bouts in the World Boxing Championships here.
Jitender lost 9-14 to Russian Georgy Balakshin in the flyweight (51kg) contest while Jai Bhagwan went down 7-16 to Colombian Darley Perez in the lightweight (69kg) bout at the University of Illinois-Chicago’s UIC Pavilion Wednesday.
All quarter-finalists automatically book a berth in the Beijing Olympics.
Asia has a quota of 62 in the Olympic boxing competition and the number of qualifying berths still available will be known only after this competition.
The other two Olympic qualifying tournaments are scheduled for Bangkok in January and Kazakhstan in March where the Asian quota will be completed.
Anthresh Lalit Lakra is the only Indian pugilist to make the grade, having entered the featherweight (57 kg) quarter-final Tuesday.
Lakra next faces China’s Li Yin for a semi-final place and figure among the medals.
Both losing semi-finalists receive bronze medals in international boxing competitions.