Tokyo 2020: Brazilian boxers from Bahia make history, will fight for gold in two finals

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – From Bahia to the top of the Olympic podium in Japan. Brazilian boxing made history at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on Thursday (5) as, for the first time, it qualified two boxers in two final matches at the same Olympics.

Beatriz Ferreira, 28, from Salvador, Brazil, is the first Brazilian woman to fight for Olympic gold in the sport. The lightweight world champion (up to 60kg) qualified for the category final by defeating Finland’s Mira Potkonen by the judges’ unanimous decision.

Hebert Conceição, also from Bahia, qualified for the final of the men’s middleweight category (up to 75kg) by defeating Russian Gleb Bakshi, current world champion, by a split decision (4:1).

Baile de Favela is the sound track of Brazilian success in Tokyo. To the sound of funk, Bia Ferreira was dominant throughout the fight. “I want gold, I’m going to fight until the end. Let’s move forward, let’s get on the podium, stand on the highest spot and listen to our anthem. It will be hard to take it away from me. I trained hard for this,” stated the Brazilian after qualifying for the final, showing talent and charisma in Japan.

The boxer will now fight for gold against Ireland’s Kellie Anne Harrington on Sunday, August 8, at 2 AM (Brasília time). The best previous result by a Brazilian in boxing had been Adriana Araújo’s bronze medal in London 2012, when the first female match was held in an Olympic ring.

An hour after Bia Ferreira’s victory, Hebert Conceição also clinched his place in an Olympic final and will now face Ukraine’s Oleksandr Khyzniak in the fight for gold, scheduled for the early hours of Saturday, August 7, at 2:45 AM (Brasília time).

“I am very happy with my qualification for the final, with my performance. It is a short time to think and rest. It is time to relax, enjoy a little time with family and friends, reply to some messages, but soon return to focus, because gold has never been so close, and now it is time to grab this opportunity, do my best, take all my energy into the ring to pursue another gold medal for Brazil,” the fighter celebrated.

Before the pair of boxers, Abner Teixeira (91kg) won a bronze medal for Brazil after reaching the competition’s semifinals. Although he lost to Cuba’s Julio César de La Cruz, the two defeated semi-finalists both finish third in the Olympic boxing competition.

Brazil thus surpasses its performance in boxing at the London 2012 Olympic Games when it won three medals (two bronze and one silver). In Rio 2016, the Bahian Robson Conceição was gold in the lightweight. “Bahia is the Brazilian Cuba,” the Olympic champion said at the time. If anyone had any doubts that our state is a boxing powerhouse, they no longer do.”