BOXING: Australia’s Ibrahim Balla has won his opening round bout via a countback in the bantamweight division of the boxing program at the ExCel Arena.

The 21-year-old Victorian and his Moroccan opponent Aboubakr Lbida finished equal on 16 points after the three rounds, with the plucky Australian awarded the contest, and a place in the Round of 16 via a double countback.

Balla won the first round seven points to six, but trailed heading into the final round 12 points to 11.

“I’m stoked,” Balla said.

“To compete at the Olympics is something I’ve always dreamed of, and to do that and wear my colours and have a win, it’s just great.

Balla was joined in the crowd by the rest of the Australian team and several vocal Australian supporters.

“I also had my father and brothers in the crowd and that made it better. The atmosphere was just crazy,” Balla added.

Austrlaian head coach Don Abnett says there is plenty of improvement left in his charge.

“He was a bit slow getting into the fight, I thought,” Abnett said.

“You can’t sit back at the Olympics. It’s just so great to come away with a win for the first fight; hopefully there will be more to come”.

Damian Kelly in London
Olympics.com.au