Light Flyweight (48 kg)
Olympic champion 1992:
Rogelio Marcelo, Cuba (never turned pro)
Olympic champion 1996:
Daniel Petrov, Bulgaria (never turned pro)
Olympic champion 2000:
Brahim Asloum, France (Current WBA champ at 108,
pro record)
Olympic champion 2004:
Yan Barthelemy (
pro record)
Reigning champions:
World, USA 2007:
Zou Shiming, China (+)
European C., Bulgaria 2006:
David Ayrapetyan, Russia (+)
European Union C., Poland 2008:
Pal Bedak, Hungary (+)
Asian Games, Qatar 2006:
Zou Shiming, China (+)
Asian C., Mongolia 2007:
Purevdorv Serdamba, Mongolia (+)
All-Africa Games, Algeria 2007:
Suleiman Wanjau Bilali, Kenya (+)
African C., Madagascar 2007:
Manyo Plange, Ghana (+)
Pan-American Games, Brazil 2007:
Luiz Yanez, USA (?)
Pan-American C., Ecuador 2008:
Yampier Hernandez, Cuba (+)
Oceanian C., Samoa 2008:
Jack Willie, Papua New Guinea (+)
Commonwealth Games, Australia 2006:
Japhet Uutoni, Namibia (+)
Participants 2008:
Africa:
Japhet Uutoni, Namibia
Suleiman Wanjau Bilali, Kenya
Manyo Plange, Ghana
Thomas Essomba, Cameroun [9]
Redouane Bouchtok, Morocco
Ronald Serugo, Uganda
Simanga Shiba, Swaziland
America:
Luis Yanez, USA [6@51]
Jose Luis Meza, Ecuador
Eduard Bermudez, Venezuela [16]
Paolo Carvalho, Brazil [18]
Winston Mendez, Dominican Republic
Yampier Hernandez, Cuba [6]
Asia:
Zou Shiming, China [1@51]
Harry Tanamor, Phillipines [1]
Amnat Ruonrang, Thailand [5]
Birzhan Zhakypov, Kazahkstan [7]
Rafikjon Sultonov, Uzbekistan
Sherali Dostiev, Tadjikistan
Purevori Serdamba, Mongolia [12]
Europe:
Nordine Oubaali, France [3]
Hovhannes Danielyan, Armenia [15]
Gheoriy Chygaev, Ukraine [9@51]
Paddy Barnes, Ireland [11]
David Ayrapetyan, Russia [2]
Lukas Maszczyk, Poland [13]
Pal Bedak, Hungary [4]
Kelvin de La Nieve, Spain [8]
Oceania:
Jack Willie, Papua New Guinea [20]
Preview:
Double (and reigning) world champ
Zou Shiming must be the huge betting favourite, with the Olympics even staged in his native China. For those of us not in the know, he might even be the biggest favourite in any boxing division in Beijing. Some highlights from the WC-final can be watched
here btw.
Harry Tanamor was the only pinoy to reach the WC final, and at least a few posters on this site must be following him with interest. Mongolian
Serdamba did beat Shiming in last year’s Asian Championship (watch the last minute
here), but that was at home in Mongolia. Chances are things will be different in Beijing. Never rule out the Cuban participant – Barthelemy did not have the best record neither before nor since the Olympics – but
Hernandez do not look like one of the favourites. Ha has recent losses to both Luis Yanez and Dominican Winston Mendez at least. The American hope, 20 year old former World Junior Champion
Luis Yanez, seems to have been excluded from the American squad (story
here). The special nature of the Olympics means that all representatives, despite being officially qualified, must be accepted by the national federation. Not sure how much of a difference he would make anyway – he was recently
stopped in three rounds by Shiming.
Bonus info:
- I always find myself rooting for the fighters coming out of small nations, preferably Africans or fighters from small nations in Oceania. This year my hopes go out for
Shimanga Shiba, Swaziland’s only representative in the entire games, who even received a wild card in order to get here.
- Zou Shiming can (should?) become the first ever Chinese gold medal in boxing. He will also become the first Asian to win in Light Flyweight.
- If it comes to a repeat of the World Championships-finals it will be the only third All-Asian Olympic final in history. Bantamweight
Takao Sakurai (Japan) defeated
Chung Shin-Cho (South Korea) on home turf in Tokyo 1964, while Thai flyweight
Wijan Ponlid defeated the Kazakh
Bulat Jumadilov in Sydney 2000.
- While
Brahim Asloum (France) found Olympic success, all 19 European Championships contested at the weight have gone to boxers from the (former) Eastern bloc.
- Should
Persamba repeat his success from the Asian Championship he will provide the first ever gold medal in Olympic history for Mongolia – the country has so far produced 5 silver medals and 10 bronze medals (the latter including 2 in boxing). Should
Harry Tanamor do one better than in the World Championships, he will become the first ever Pinoy to win Olympic gold. All the countries’ post-WWII medals (2 silver, 2 bronze) has come in boxing btw, the latest in Barcelona 1992. Perhaps Tanamor can look to his countries’ flagbearer, the one and only
Manny Pacquiao, for inspiration?
- Japhet Uutoni (Namibia) also represents a country without any Olympic gold medals. People might remember the sprinter Frankie Fredericks, who has won all of Namibias 4 medals so far (all silver).
- Jack Willie (Papua New Guinea) and
Shimanga Shiba (Swaziland) can become their countries' first ever Olympic medallists.
