Spain’s flyweight star Gabriel Escobar – This is a proud moment for me to qualify for Tokyo

Spain’s Gabriel Escobar joined to the national team as a youth boxer in 2014 and moved ahead in the rankings step by step. The Spanish flyweight (52kg) boxer claimed silver medals in the 2017 and 2018 EUBC European U22 Boxing Championships, gold at the 2018 Mediterranean Games and at the 2018 EUBC European Union Boxing Championships.

Following these successes in the current Olympic era, Escobar won the title of the Minsk 2019 European Games where he defeated his main rival, Bulgaria’s Daniel Asenov as well. Escobar arrived to the European Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event in top form and after beating Ukraine’s Doha 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships, he qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“It means a lot for me that I qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. I am very happy and the hard work which we have done with my coaching staff paid off in the European Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event. This is a proud moment for me that I can represent Spain in an Olympic Games.

I thank my coaches, teammates and the members of the Spanish Boxing Federation for making this possible and count on me in the recent years. I thank also to my family and friends who supported and congratulated me during and after the European Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event.

I moved more on feet than my opponent and tried to do several unexpected movements and to land explosive punches my key contest against Ukraine’s Dmytro Zamotayev. He was a very difficult and strong opponent who achieved good results in the previous years. I felt I was in top form in the Qualifier and I could show that I have the skills to qualify for the Olympic Games.

I know I will have many top opponents in the Tokyo Olympic Games but I hope I will be able to get gold medal for Spain in Japan,” said Spain’s best male boxer Gabriel Escobar a few days later after his top success.