Hocine Soltani facts for kids
Hocine Soltani (born December 1972 – died March 2002) was an Algerian boxer. He was a very successful athlete who won two Olympic medals for his country. In 1992, he earned a bronze medal in the featherweight boxing division. Then, in 1996, he achieved his dream by winning the gold medal in the lightweight division at the Summer Olympics.
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| Nationality |  Algeria |
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| Born | December 27, 1972 Thénia, Boumerdès |
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| Died | March 2002 (aged 29) near Marseille, France |
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| Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 60 kg (132 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Boxing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight class | Featherweight | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Contents
Early Life and Start in Boxing
Hocine Soltani was born in Thénia, Algeria, on December 27, 1972. His older brother, Omar, was a boxing trainer. Omar introduced Hocine to the sport. Boxing taught Hocine discipline and helped him stay focused. He quickly showed he was hardworking and determined. Hocine was a southpaw, meaning he fought with his left hand forward.
Amazing Amateur Boxing Career
Hocine Soltani had a very successful amateur boxing career. He won many medals for Algeria.
First Olympic Medal
In 1991, Hocine won a bronze medal at the World Amateur Boxing Championships in Sydney. This was a big achievement for him. The next year, he was chosen to compete in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He competed in the featherweight division. Hocine reached the semi-finals of the competition. He was eventually defeated by Andreas Tews from Germany, who went on to win the gold medal. Even though he didn't win gold, getting a bronze medal at the Olympics was a huge accomplishment. His brother Omar said their next goal was to win Olympic gold.
Olympic Gold in Atlanta
Hocine returned to the Olympics in 1996, competing in the Summer Games in Atlanta, United States. This time, he moved up to the lightweight division. In his first fight, he beat Vahdettin İşsever from Turkey. He won by a score of 14-2 points. He then beat Agnaldo Nunes from Brazil with a score of 11-1.
The fights became tougher as he moved closer to the final. In the quarter-finals, he won against Shin Eun-Chul from South Korea. The score was 16-10. In the semi-final, he faced Leonard Doroftei from Romania, who was a favorite to win. Hocine won this close fight 9-6, showing his skill and determination.
In the final match, Hocine Soltani fought Tontcho Tontchev from Bulgaria. It was a very close fight. Hocine was ahead, but then he was penalized two points. He quickly managed to tie the score again. At the end of the match, the scores were even. Hocine was given the victory after a special count-back. This meant they counted each successful hit by both boxers. This historic win made Hocine Soltani the first Algerian to ever win an Olympic gold medal in boxing!
Other Major Wins
Besides his Olympic medals, Hocine also won gold at the 1991 All-Africa Games in Cairo. He also earned a silver medal at the 1993 Mediterranean Games in France. He was a champion boxer who made his country proud.
Professional Boxing Career
After his amazing amateur career, Hocine Soltani decided to become a professional boxer in 1998. His first professional fight was in Paris, France, where he won by technical knockout. He fought two more times in France in 1999, winning both matches. His last professional fight was in Algeria in January 2000. His nephew, Mebarek Soltani, also became a boxer and competed in the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics.
Later Life
After retiring from boxing, Hocine Soltani started a new career. He worked in Marseille, France, importing and exporting cars. He had settled there with his wife and child. Sadly, Hocine Soltani passed away in March 2002. His body was found in September 2004, and DNA tests confirmed it was him. His body was returned to Algeria and buried there.
See also
- List of solved missing person cases
