Thailand’s defending Olympic Games light-welterweight champion Manus Boonjumnong defeated world champion Serik Sapiyev of Kazakhstan on points to reach the semi-finals yesterday to ensure at least a bronze medal.
Manus, the 28-year-old fighter who famously squandered US$600,000 in prize money on a party-packed lifestyle after winning the gold in Athens in 2004, is bidding to become the first Thai boxer to win two Olympic boxing titles. It was an impressive 7-5 win yesterday.
Southpaw Sapiyev won back-to-back world titles in 2005 and last year, but when the two men last met at the 2006 Asian Games it was the Thai who triumphed 22-18 despite having been knocked to the canvas.
“It was really tough,” Manus said. “Sapiyev is aggressive, always moving in to attack so I was a little anxious.”
In his first round, Manus defeated Japan’s Kawachi Masatsugu, the man who had beaten him at last year’s world championships in Chicago.
The Thai now faces Cuba’s Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo, who beat Russia’s Gennady Kovalev 5-2.
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