Yusuf Chothia

Perth boxer Yusuf Chothia booked his ticket to the Paris Olympics the hard way at the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

After defeating the defending champion, Papua New Guinea’s Charles Keama, in the semi-final, Yusuf found himself up against the local hero, Solomon Islander Clinton Tetekana, in the 51kg gold medal bout.

Despite the partisan home crowd roaring on his opponent, Yusuf hung on to win by a unanimous decision.

“So blessed to be here ... we did it,” he said afterwards. “We’re going to Paris. It’s an amazing feeling.”

Yusuf, 24, started boxing as a 15-year-old at Perth’s Synergy Gym, where trainers noticed his natural talent.

He quickly rose through the ranks, winning two Australian championships. Late in 2022, having taken a break from the sport for almost two years, he set his sights on qualifying for Paris.

After months of hard training and some tough fights, he won his third national title at the Australian Championships, beating Queensland’s Tarique Hipertur on points.

The victory won Yusuf a place on the Australian team at the Pacific Games, where his success ensured he will be among a record 12-strong Australian boxing contingent at the Paris Olympics.

Being part of a team is one of the most satisfying aspects of life as an elite athlete for Yusuf. “They say boxing is a lonely sport,” he said. “But it’s not when you have a team like this.”