Background
Newfel started boxing in 1998 after the World Cup in France, while all the other children were playing football, he prefer to start boxing in front of his block, at the Club Pugillistique Villeurbannais"s Gym.
Newfel started boxing in 1998 after the World Cup in France, while all the other children were playing football, he prefer to start boxing in front of his block, at the Club Pugillistique Villeurbannais"s Gym.
Ouatah"s the cousin of French football player Karim Benzema, Newfel"s and Karim"s families are from the same town in Algeria (Ath Djellil). He"s also a cousin of famous Algerian singer Hanifa (Hanifa"s mother is the sister of Newfel"s grandfather). He lost in the quarterfinals of the junior world championships when he lost to Robert Alfonso.
He captured the bronze medal at the 2005 Mediterranean Games.
Then he asked the French federation to agree him to start boxing for his native country. In 2008 he qualified for the Olympics by beating Stéphane Gomis of Sénegal and Moroccan Mohamed Amanissi 21:8 in a qualifier.
Even in April 2008 he fought his fourth fight against M"Bumba when the fight was amazingly stopped after 1:20 in the last round giving to M"Bumba a disputed winning decision. He started his Olympic preparation with Jean Baptiste Mendy"s coach, Houari Amri.
In the round of 16 he upset Jose Payares of Venezuela, in the quarter final he was beaten by World Championship silver medallist Vyacheslav Glazkov 4:10.
He turned pro in 2009.