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The opening of the Pan American Games in Santiago (Chile) will take place this Friday (20), but some competitions are already underway. One of them is boxing. On Thursday (19), the first Brazilian entered the ring and emerged victorious. Luiz Gabriel Oliveira, known as Bolinha, beat Canadian Victor Tremblay in the featherweight category (up to 57 kg) and advanced to the next round, where he will face Uruguayan Lucas Alexander Fernandez Garcia, on a date to be set. Brazil's baseball debut also takes place this Thursday (19), at 3pm (Brasília time), against the Venezuelan team. The Brazilian Olympic Channel will be broadcasting the Pan American Games live.
Bolinha's victory and the Pan American Games are of vital importance for the boxer's qualification for the Paris Olympics in 2024. The competition offers two direct places for next year's event. Bolinha needs two more victories to guarantee his presence in France.
There are a total of 13 boxing categories in Santiago, both male and female. Eleven of these categories will qualify the finalists, while the other two (up to 57 kg and up to 60 kg, both for women) will qualify the four best athletes, making a total of 30 places at stake for Paris.
The Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) has brought the largest delegation in the country's history to international events, with 621 athletes (342 men and 279 women). Before the opening ceremony, only baseball, boxing and diving will have started competing. From Saturday (21), 54 other disciplines will begin to determine not only the champions, but also the qualifiers for Paris.
In total, 21 disciplines, including boxing, will give direct places for the 2024 Games, while another twelve will count for points in the rankings. So far, Brazil has 105 places confirmed for the next Olympics.
In addition, the country is looking to surpass its performance at the Pan American Games in Lima in 2019, where it achieved its best finish in history, coming second only to the United States. On that occasion, Brazil won record numbers of gold medals (54) and podiums (169).
