New Delhi, Mar 23: Doha Asian Games bronze medallist Vijender and Dinesh Kumar booked berths in the Beijing Olympics after reaching the finals of the Asian Boxing Qualifiers in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Saturday.

While Vijender thrashed Iranian Amiri Homayon 19-13 in the middleweight category, Dinesh (81kg) outscored Mandakhbayar of Mongolia in another lopsided semifinal clash.

The duo's qualification takes the total number of Indian boxers in Beijing Olympics to four after A L Lakra (57kg) and Akhil Kumar (54kg) booked places in previous qualifying events.

Vijender, a reigning national champion and an Arjuna awardee, will next take on Korean Cho Deok Jin, while Dinesh will now be up against Iranian Ghorbani Mehdi in the finals to be held on Sunday.

For Vijender, who had failed in his previous two bids to qualify, the triumph in Astana has come as a major reprieve.

"My moral was down coming into this tournament as I had not done all that well in the previous two attempts.

This was my last chance and I can't tell how happy ad relieved I am at having made the cut for Beijing," the 22-year-old, who will now compete in his second successive Olympics, told a news agency from Astana.

National coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu also lavished praise on the Haryana boxer.

"After he failed to qualify in the previous two events, questions were raised about his abilities but he has answered his critics well," Sandhu said.

For Dinesh, it is his maiden Olympic qualification.

"It is a dream realised and the feeling is yet to sink in. My opponent on Saturday was not all that strong and I capitalised on his shortcomings," he said.