olympic scoring sucks

Mitchell Kane · Aug 26, 2009

NY Times with an article on women's boxing in India:

Slideshow: http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/08/25/sports/20090825BOXING_index.html

In India, Women See Boxing as a Way Up
By SOMINI SENGUPTA
TRIVANDRUM, India â€” The girls punched hard.

From across India they came to this big, steamy government-run gym. Before entering the boxing ring, they bowed their heads to the floor, as though entering a temple. A sweet-shop ownerâ€™s daughter let loose a right hook. A construction workerâ€™s daughter leaned against the rope, streams of sweat dripping from her face. Bouncing, ducking, like a grasshopper on speed, was a short girl from Calcutta with close-set eyes; she had forsaken her sisterâ€™s wedding for a chance to come here and fight. The thud of glove against glove echoed against the cavernous walls.

In a country with numerous obstacles for them, young women are gearing up to punch in the big league.

The International Olympic Committee earlier this month announced the entry of womenâ€™s boxing in the 2012 London Games. India was among the countries pushing to break the gender bar.

â€œThis is my dream come true,â€ Mangte Chungneijang Merykom, 27, Indiaâ€™s most acclaimed boxer, better known as Mary Kom, said this week.

Kom is Indiaâ€™s greatest hope in the boxing competition. Since the International Boxing Association started the womenâ€™s world championships in 2001, Kom holds the record with four gold medals.

With relatively little support from the government, Indian women have performed surprisingly well in the world championships. China is Indiaâ€™s stiffest competitor. In the last championships, held in Ningbo City, China, the home team won 11 medals, followed by Russiaâ€™s 5, and 4 each by India and the United States.

Kom, having just returned from a training camp in Beijing, was quick to explain why. Even the coaches in China are fit, she said, and athletes are served meat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Indiaâ€™s modest sports camps serve meat or fish once a day. The athletes wash their own clothes by hand. There are no dedicated physical therapists for boxers who are injured.

No matter. Boxing represents a new kind of freedom to the women who entered this steamy, old-fashioned ring on Indiaâ€™s southern tip.

Hema Yogesh, 16, a spice farmerâ€™s daughter, ran away from home to join her first boxing camp. Her father was furious at first. But soon, she brought home her first gold medal from a state competition. Her schoolmates showered her with garlands and cheers. Her father, she said, burst out in tears. She did too. He now wants her to compete internationally.

Boxing, Hema said, had taught her â€œcourage.â€

It also fueled ambition. Like most of the girls at this camp, Hema sees boxing as a ticket to a middle-class life. The Indian government rewards athletes with coveted government employment, usually with the police or with the railways. No one in Hemaâ€™s family has ever had a government job.

What would life be like without boxing, Hema was asked. She would have had to stay at home, she said, and look after the familyâ€™s two cows. She made a face.

For other women, boxing brings less tangible rewards: the confidence to go out on the streets without fear, for instance. Or as a boxer named Usha Nagisetty put it, a chance to be somebody.

â€œBefore boxing, I had nothing,â€ said Nagisetty, 24, who came to train this summer at another camp, in the central Indian city of Bhopal. â€œWho is Usha? No one knew. I was fat. I was average in studies. I didnâ€™t think life had anything to offer me.â€

The rise of womenâ€™s boxing comes amid a great churning in the lives of ordinary Indian women.

Preeti Beniwal, a 22-year-old boxer from Hisar, a small north Indian town, traced the change in her own family. In her motherâ€™s time, for a decent marriage prospect, young women were expected to know how to knit and cook. Today, she said, the premium is on a woman who can earn a living. â€œTodayâ€™s generation is different,â€ Beniwal said. â€œIf a girl is self-dependent she will get a good home, a good husband.â€

Beniwal sees boxing as her ticket to independence. But she also hedges her bets. â€œIf we fail in this field,â€ she said, meaning sports, â€œwe should know a womanâ€™s primary work.â€ By that, she meant being a wife and mother.

Beniwalâ€™s home state, Haryana, is notorious for another gender gap. The practice of female feticide â€” or aborting a girl child in the womb â€” has become so prevalent that it has radically skewed the sex ratio. In parts of Haryana and nearby north Indian states, there are fewer than 9 girls for every 10 boys.

Kom is today among her countryâ€™s most prized athletes. She has a job for life in the police department, a government-built bungalow and a host of lucrative honors, including the nationâ€™s highest prize in sports, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, which she will be awarded this week.

To get there, she had to fight several personal bouts.

At 17, she left home to join a government-run sports training center in Imphal, the capital of her home state, Manipur, and begged the boxing coach to let her enter the ring.

â€œShe was so small, I told her no,â€ the coach, L. Ibomcha Singh, said. Tears rolled down her face. The coach relented.

Kom kept boxing a secret from her family â€” until she won a state championship in 2000, and everyone, including her parents, discovered what she had been up to. Her father goaded her to give it up. Boxing is too dangerous, he told her. Members of her clan disapproved. The boys in her hometown ridiculed her. She held out.

â€œOne day, I will show you who I am,â€ she recalled thinking.

One medal came after another, then marriage, then more pressure to give up fighting.

â€œMy father told me, â€˜O.K., you leave it now. Youâ€™re married,â€™ â€ she said. She resisted that too. Her husband, K. Onkholer, a former soccer player, stood by her.

Today, the two of them together run a makeshift sports academy out of their home, in part as a way to keep local children out of trouble. Manipur, nestled in the hills bordering Myanmar, is known for its network of drug runners and armed insurgents; children are drawn into both.

Komâ€™s greatest test came after the birth of her twin boys, in August 2007. For more than 18 months, she stayed out of the ring. Returning was tough on body and soul. Her back hurt. Her reflexes had slowed. It was hard to wean the boys off her breasts, harder still to leave them at home and go off to camp for a month at a time. She lost her first match, in September 2008.

She did not give up. She trained harder than ever before. Two months later, she was back in the ring for the womenâ€™s world championships in Ningbo City. She won her record fourth gold medal.

Fighting in the 2012 Olympics is her latest crucible. Weighing barely 101 pounds, Kom has fought in the pinweight category. To compete in the Olympics, she must be at least 106 pounds, the lowest of three weight slots established for women.

â€œI will pray to God to keep my body fit,â€ she said. â€œBecause if my body is fit, I can do anything.â€
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Mitchell Kane · Aug 28, 2009

Pakistan...

Pakistan Boxing Federation confirms Cuban as coach

Thursday, 27 Aug, 2009 | 01:02 PM PST |

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's newly-hired boxing coach, Francesco Hernandez Roldan of Cuba, has confirmed to take up his job next month.

Roldan has intimated Pakistan Boxing Federation that he would join the Pakistan boxers after the AIBA World Boxing Championship being held at Milan (Italy) from August 28-September 13.

Five Pakistani boxers have been selected to participate in the world event.

The services of the Cuban coach for the Pakistan boxing squad have been acquired courtesy Pakistan Sports Board, said PBF President Doda Khan Bhutto, and Secretary General Mohammed Akram Khan.

They hoped that Roldan would make a discernible difference in Pakistani pugilists' performance in the coming multi-sports international competitions such as South Asian, Asian and Commonwealth Games.

Above all, they said the Cuban coach would help a good number of Pakistani boxers to succeed in the qualifiers for the London Olympics 2012.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect...xing-federation-confirms-cuban-as-coach-ts-06
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The International News:

PBF hires Cuban coach Roldan

Thursday, August 13, 2009

KARACHI: In a bid to make better preparations for the 2012 London Olympics the boxing authorities in the country, PBF, have hired the services of Cuban coach Francisco Hernandez Roldan, a top official of the PBF said on Wednesday, writes Alam Zeb Safi.

“Yes, the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) have approved the deal with Cuban coach Francisco Hernandez and we are trying to bring him this month so that he could join the team which will feature in the World Championships to be held in Milan from September 1 to 12,” the secretary of the PBF, Muhammad Akram Khan told ‘The News’.

“We have also informed the sports authorities of Cuba about the initiative taken by the PSB and Francisco will rush to Pakistan after the completion of the visa process,” Akram said.

He informed that Roldan is coming to Pakistan through a proper government channel and as per rules Pakistan would pay forty per cent of his monthly remuneration directly to the coach while the sixty per cent of his monthly stipend will be sent to the Sports Board of Cuba (Cuba de Sport).

He said that the PBF plans to engage the foreign coach till 2012 London Olympics to give him more time but was quick to add that during his association with the PBF his performance will be keenly monitored. It is pertinent to mention here that another Cuban coach Julian Gonzalez was sent back after no Pakistani boxer qualified for the Beijing Olympics last year.

The PBF secretary informed that coach Francisco will be responsible for not only working on the available top ranking pugilists but he will also be given an additional task of teaching the basics of the game to a pool of 30 to 35 young boxers who would be hunted out during the Inter-School Championship which would be conducted across the country. He said that Roldan has been an experienced coach and has also been associated with the Cuba national boxing team for the last four years. “The Cuban also can speak English well and our boys will have no problem in following his instructions,” he said.
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Mitchell Kane · Sep 1, 2009

AIBA:

Seeding to make much anticipated debut at WCH draw
2009-08-31 09:35:00 AIBA

August 30, 2009 - For the first time in the history of the AIBA World Championships, seedings will be used for the official draw of the AIBA World Championships Milan 2009 which will take place at 15:00 (local time) at the Pieve Emanuele City Gym in Milan on Monday.

The penultimate day of the build up to the AIBA World Championships Milan 2009 is shaping up to be action packed with the all-important General Weigh-In taking place at the Pieve Emanuele City Gym from 06:00-10:00 before the Official Draw in the afterrnoon. These two events will then be followed by a World Series of Boxing (WSB) press conference and the AIBA World Championships Milan 2009 Opening Ceremony at the Arena Civica at 19:00 and 21:00 (local time) respectively.

The revolutionary AIBA World Championships Milan 2009 seedings have been implemented thanks to the recently introduced AIBA World Rankings. No longer can two of the biggest favourites in a weight category clash in the first round of the AIBA World Championships. This new initiative also guarantees that sheer luck will not be enough to win a medal at the XV AIBA World Championships, starting on Tuesday at the Milan Mediolanum Forum.

A quick preview of the weight categories:

The 48kg category will be up for grabs. The weight class has been dominated by Zou Shiming of China, who won the last two World Championships and the Beijing Olympic Games but in his absence, former European champion David Ayrapetyan of Russia, Asia-champion Kaew Pongprayoon of Thailand and Olympic silver medallist Purevdorj Serdamba of Mongolia are the favourites, not forgetting about Daniel Matellon and last year's European champion Hovanes Danielyan of Armenia.

51kg - Cuban virtuoso Yampier HernÃ¡ndez, moving up from the 48 kg looks to be the favorite, however, the junior European champion Russian youngster, Misha Aloyan also should be counted on, since he has taken the place of three-time European gold medallist Georgy Balakshin in the Russian team for this tournament.

54kg - Olympic silver medallist Yankiel LeÃ³n (CUB) could get the long avaited gold in the absence of Mongolia's Olympic champion Enkhbat Badar-Uugan. Also trying to get the gold is Ukrainian European champion Georgy Chigayev.

57kg - It looks a cakewalk for the best boxer of the Beijing Olympics and the European champion Vasyl Lomachenko of the Ukraine. He will be challeged by the world champion of the 54kg class, Russian Sergey Vodopyanov, who has moved up from the lower weight category. Three years ago they clashed at the junior European Championships with Lomachenko being the winner.

60kg - Albert Selimov of Russia is the runaway favourite, the world champion of the 57kg finds himself challenged by home boxer Domenico Valentino and Cuba's Idel Torrente.

64kg - Russia's two-time Olympic champion, Aleksey Tishchenko has moved up to this category, but will be absent from Milan, just like the two finalists from the Beijing Olympic Games and the Englishman Bradley Saunders, who had his thumb broken recently. This might open the door to the experienced Gyula KÃ¡tÃ© of Hungary, silver medallist at last year's Liverpool European Championships and Cuban Olympic bronze medallist Rosniel Iglesias. Maksim Ignatiev of Russia and Alexis Vastine of France are also in contention for a medal.

69kg - Two-time world champion Serik Sapiev of Kazakhstan is the favourite although Olympic silver medallist Carlos Banteur of Cuba and David Arustamyan (RUS) might have different ideas. Hungary's junior world champion BalÃ¡zs Bacskai has shown outstanding form this year, winning the European Community Championships.

75kg - Emilio Correa of Cuba is ready to swap his Olympic silver medal for a gold in Milan, however Venezuelan AIBA World Championship Chicago 2007 silver medallist Alfonso Blanco and Abbos Atoev of Uzbekistan - the reigning 81kg world champion - can not be discounted either.

81kg - What a talant pool! Chicago World Chamionships silver medallist Artur Betierbiyev of Russia, junior world champion JosÃ© Angel Larduet of Cuba and the experienced Imre Szello of Hungary will all vie for a medal. Olympic silver medallist Kenneth Egan of Ireland and Russian European Championship silver medallist Sergey Korneyev are worthy candidates also.

91kg - Title holder and home favourite Clemente Russo is the big favourite along with Osmay Acosta of Cuba, the Olympic bronze medallist. Oleksandr Usyk of the Ukraine has moved up from 81kg where he was European champion to make life interesting for the favourites.

+91kg - Home town favourite Roberto Cammarelle of Italy will be out to repeat his gold medal from Chicago two years ago. Erislandy SavÃ³n of Cuba - the nephew of legendary Cuban boxer Felix SavÃ³n - could be challenging him, just like old guns Viktar Zuev of Belarus and Kubrat Pulev of Bulgaria.
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Mitchell Kane · Sep 1, 2009

AIBA:

BOXING: AIBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SCORING MORE TRANSPARENT THAN EVER

The public will be able to see not only the running scores during the matches but also the accepted scores of the five judges adjudicating the contest.

For the very first time at the AIBA World Championships, starting on Tuesday in Milan, the public will be able to see not only the running scores during the matches but also the accepted scores of the five judges adjudicating the contest. AIBA President Dr Ching-Kuo Wu announced the news at the pre-tournament press conference, held earlier today in Milan.

In the scoring system until now, five judges operate a scoring device pressing a red button when the red boxer is deemed to have thrown a scoring punch and a blue button when the blue boxer is deemed to have thrown a scoring punch. Where three or more of the five judges press a button of a given colour within one second, a point is scored by the boxer of that colour. In Milan, for the first time in boxing history, scoring will be totally open and the spectators will be able to follow the accepted scores on the screen.

"This is a completely open system," said AIBA President Dr Ching-Kuo Wu. "I believe this is a very important step towards the total transparency of our sport. We are taking this move because we want scoring to be really open to every spectator trying to understand the boxing competition."

President Wu added: "In order to prevent any possible interference with the neutrality of the referees and judges, AIBA has selected the 45 best referees and judges for this World Championships.

"By doing this we can guarantee the competitors the very best professional judgment. All the boxers will receive an absolutely fair judging and we are entirely sure that AIBA will achieve its goal of fair play."
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Mitchell Kane · Sep 1, 2009

http://www.worldboxingmilano.org/

http://www.aiba.org/

Mitchell Kane · Sep 1, 2009

AIBA:

The highly anticipated re-introduction of three rounds of three minutes in place of four rounds of two for the first time since the 1996 Olympic Games, plus the revolutionary transparent scoring system (not only the combined score, but also the five judges' individual scores are visible to the public via screens for the very first time) were a complete success.
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Mitchell Kane · Sep 1, 2009

Americans: Frankie Gomez won his first round match, Louie Byrd lost his.

Michael Hunter is set to face Roberto Camarelle Tuesday night.

Cammarelle faces Hunter in first round of the AIBA World Championships
Tuesday, 01 September 2009 08:15 Shravan
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Roberto Cammarelle, the world and Olympic super-heavyweight champion, will take on Michael Hunter of the USA in the first round of the AIBA World Championships which get underway tomorrow at the Mediolanum Forum in Milan.

The draw was made earlier today, using seedings for the very first time. Cammarelle, seeded first, is sure to find plenty of support in his home town for what promises to be an enthralling first-round encounter.

Another home favourite, world champion and Olympic silver medalist Clemente Russo who is seeded second in the heavyweight category, faces Julio Castillo of Ecuador.

Vasyl Lomachenko of the Ukraine, winner of the Val Barker Trophy for best boxer at the Beijing Olympics, is seeded first in the 57kg category and starts his campaign against Mario Aleksic of Bosnia and Herzegovina after a bye in the first round.

Meanwhile one of Cuba's brightest stars, Carlos Banteur, also has a bye in the first round before taking on Errol Spence of the USA in another highly anticipated clash.

It was the first time in the history of the AIBA World Championships that seedings were used for the draw. The seedings have been implemented thanks to the recently introduced AIBA World Rankings, based on international results since the 2007 Chicago World Championships.
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REEDsART · Sep 1, 2009

please, Please, PLEASE Keep REED Posted on Errol Spence's Progress...

REED:hammert:

Mitchell Kane · Sep 1, 2009

It looks like Cammarrelle won 8-1.

Yahoo Babel Fish translation of this page: http://www.worldboxingmilano.org/page.aspx?idp=16&id=315

Cammarelle inflames from Milan public asks the ostico Hunter (USA)

Decidedly the callback of Roberto Cammarelle is of those forts. In the serale section of the first day, the giant of Cinisello Balsam represented the main attraction, much more than it was not be a matter of a debut soft, but of a test not to underrate. The American Michael Hunter even if excluded young person from Giochi of Beijing, was not sure disowning and in its clan the work of convincement to being able to create the surprise had been strong. But today against the champion of the olympic world and, it is not easy to pass.

In fact Cammarelle is tax with clearly a 8-1 that leaves to understand how much road must still make before being able to make to become truth the dream. Equally a walk has not been dealt. The Victoria of the blue never has not been in doubt: 4-1, 6-1 and 8-1 numbers that put in prominence the ability to read the encounter from Cammarelle. “I have managed the match, thinking that the torneo is along and the difficult one will arrive in semiend when I would have to face the Pulev Bulgarian, second the pronostici. Hunter has tried to throw the comparison on the row and in a sure sense there is successful, since it has made me to bleed the nose, also knows with a dirty blow. But it has not gone beyond. The American is brave, the memory when lost to Chicago against Timurziev with honor. Perhaps he would have to fight without to resort to the trucchetti like tying, to hit after the break, things determine the proportions that it”.

Now along rest, till the 7 without to fight. He goes well thus?

“Not at all, the calendar is from see again absolutely, also in the respect of the boxers. It pauses thus long is injurious for all. Much more than after every will be fought two days and in the final part two days to row. It does not have sense. They are things to change. They have come to the world-wide ones in order to then fight and in order not to make the spectator and the extraordinary ones”.

A little of nervousness to the debut?

“Certainly, at all we are blots some. I fight in my city, the public is all for you, like not feeling emotion? In fact, when I have watched up are said to me that I could not disappoint them. However they are the favorite and point to bissare the gold of Chicago”.

That public the graves all for Cammarelle not were doubts, the comforting aspect is that they have arrived more than thousands for the mancino plurititolato.

“Evidently - he jokes ironic - I have many relatives. While they have gained also Picardi and Gospels to confirmation that we are a strong square we will demonstrate and it in the course of the torneo”.

Hunter from action to have lost with a great champion: “I have tried Us in any case - confirmation the young person American - but Cammarelle is too much Bravo. If I attacked anticipated to me, if I closed carried mounting heavy. It will not be easy to strike it”.

The young person has aroused great impression (24 years) giant Cuban of Guantanamo, Erislandy Costilla Savon that it has also refuted of being relative of Felix Savon, mythical the four times winning to the world-wide ones. In less than 2 ' it has forced to the yield the Welsh pale Wal Jones, than to 28 years it seemed a novizietto to the first crews. Taken in speed from the caraibico, it has not known to prepare some defense, victim of a pochezza that has put in prominence the dowries of speed of this athlete snello, high 1,90 that sure will be the more difficult adversary for the Chinese Chen Zhang who would have to find in semiend. Demanded Cammarelle of a pronostico has said that it sees the Cuban finalist.

The other protagonists of the evening: winning easy the Pulev Bulgarian of the Hysa Albanian, quite without to fight has gained ucraino the Kapitonenko, while a little to surprise the representative of the Vergini Islands, Laurent that had to the former angle the world-wide one of the means, Julian Jackson, adversary of our Cardamone, has had the better one on the nigeriano Ehwarieme, splendid physicist but little resistance. After to have left well, it has made oneself to catch up from the less elegant but more opposing concrete.

The next hards work of the 7 supermaximums are fixed to september, and Cammarelle will have to look at it with the Urbanc Slovene, that the modest Stankovic Serb has chopped herbs.

Today it touches the rooster Vittorio Parrinello, in morning, against the Makarov German, avails again of all respect with great international experience, European bronze in charge. The other blue engaged in the reunion of the afternoon is the mean Luca Podda. Adversary the champion of Spain Mariano Jimenez that ago of the generosity the better arm. On the paper, beatable adversary.

Giuliano Bordering
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Mitchell Kane · Sep 1, 2009

AIBA English write-up:

Cammarelle completes perfect day for Italy 01.09.2009

Pic: The Italian Roberto Cammarelle at his first bout

Roberto Cammarelle of Italy and Milan, the face of the XV AIBA World Championships, completed an Italian clean sweep on the first day at the Mediolanum Forum in his home town.

The defending Olympic and world super-heavyweight champion overcame a bloody nose to beat Michael Hunter of the United States 9-1, making it three wins out of three for the home squad after victories earlier in the day for Dario Vangeli and Vincenzo Picardi.

With his superb timing and longer arms, Cammarelle kept his young opponent under constant pressure and had little trouble winning the first bout of the evening session. "His timing was too good, I tried my best, but this time it was not enough," Hunter said, smiling.

"It is a good feeling having got over the first bout," said Cammarelle. "I am very glad to have completed a perfect day for Italy. However this is just the beginning, a lot of tough opponents await me on the way to the podium, with the Russian and the Cuban boxer being probably the strongest."

The Cuban boxer, namely Erislandy SavÃ³n, steamrollered Andrew Jones of Wales. The latter received a standing count twice after devastating body shots and the referee stopped the contest after the second standing count. "My coach, Pedro Roque, told me to attack Jones's stomach and ribcage constantly. That proved to be a winning tactic," SavÃ³n said.

Clayton Laurent of the US Virgin Islands wrote history in the next bout. The 19-year-old youngster came back to beat Onoriode Ehwarieme of Nigeria 10-8. "This is probably the greatest day in our country's amateur boxing history," he said. "Winning a match at the World Championships is something unbelievable."

In one the last +91kg bouts of the evening Olympic silver medalist Zhang Zhilei of China comfortably beat Sardor Abdullaev of Uzbekistan.

In the afternoon Vangeli, a 21-year-old light-welterweight from Copertino and a bronze medallist at the 2006 European Championships, beat Carl Hield of the Bahamas 9-3, dominating from the start. "It's always difficult to break the ice, but after the first successful punches I settled into a rhythm," said Vangeli.

"Of course I was nervous before the match, I tried to attack aggressively but it is not only aggressiveness that my coaches have taught me but also a variety of punches. I am confident, and my goal is a medal."

Elsewhere in the 64kg category Frankie Gomez, the Cadet (now Junior) world champion two years ago in Baku, held a boxing clinic for Mikhail Bakarura of Belarus. The 18-4 margin of victory was no exaggeration and Gomez, from Los Angeles, California, said: "I came here to win it all. My goal is the gold medal."

European Championship silver medallist Gyula KÃ¡tÃ©'s bout with Apichet Seansit of Thailand concluded the afternoon session. Hungary's KÃ¡tÃ© jumped out to a 3-1 lead, but surprisingly the young Thai turned things around and took the lead at 4-3. But that was the end for Apichet: KÃ¡tÃ© shifted into top gear, scored 10 unanswered points and won the bout 13-4.

"The first bout is always a problem," said KÃ¡tÃ©. "I feel rusty and this match was no exception. However, from the mid-point of the second round I suddenly felt the rhythm. At one point my opponent did not even seem to be willing to box, and that was the moment when I felt I had the match won. This is the first step, but there are many more to take."

The closest bout of the 51kg morning session was between Suranjoy Mayengbam of India and Tugstsogt Nyambayar of Mongolia. The Indian led 5-2 but Nyambayar caught up with him and the final score was 10-10. The Mongolian came out the winner on individual points. "I was a little lucky," Nymbayar conceded.

Russia's Misha Aloyan, a World Cup-winner last December in addition to his European Junior title, beat Yaya Runanga of Burundi 25-2. The 21-year-old from Kemerovskaya is one of the favourites for the gold medal.

In the final bout of the session Picardi, the Olympic bronze medallist, coasted to the second round, easily outpointing young Nihat Seyidov of Azerbajan. The 17-year-old from Baki scored the first point but then came 13 unanswered points for the local favourite, who won 17-2.

"My opponent scored the first point, it was a wake-up call for me, but after that I did not have much problem," said Picardi. "I was not nervous, after such a strong preparation my self-confidence is sky high. The first step is always very important."

The highly anticipated re-introduction of three rounds of three minutes in place of four rounds of two for the first time since the 1996 Olympic Games, plus the revolutionary transparent scoring system (not only the combined score, but also the five judges' individual scores are visible to the public via screens for the very first time) were both features of the first day.
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Mitchell Kane · Sep 3, 2009

More American results: Jesus Madgaleno won, Terrell Gausha and Duran Caferro lost.

Kevin Rivers won today.

Mitchell Kane · Sep 8, 2009

REEDsART said: ↑

please, Please, PLEASE Keep REED Posted on Errol Spence's Progress...

REED:hammert:
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Spence lost.

Frankie Gomez is still alive...he won today.

REEDsART · Sep 9, 2009

Mitchell Kane said: ↑

Spence lost.

Frankie Gomez is still alive...he won today.
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Yeah, REED Heard the News...He Drew a CUBAN, who's Ranked # 1 in the Fucking WORLD @ 152, in his Very 1st Bout...

REED::

Mitchell Kane · Sep 9, 2009

Quarterfinals were today...Frankie Gomez won.

There will be no medals for Great Britain.

Mitchell Kane · Sep 11, 2009

Frankie Gomez has made it to the finals.

Vasyl Lomachenko-Sergey Vodopiyanov will meet in the featherweight final.

Seven Russians made it to the finals.

Here's the list of tomorrow's matches:

http://88.85.4.2/results-daily.fwx?day=12.09.2009&cat=&nat=&decision=&session=&name=

AIBA World Championships Milan 2009

Session Bout Start time Weight cat. Corner Name Nat. Day Date

26 533 14:00 48 kg
Serdamba PUREVDORJ 12 12.09.2009
David AYRAPETYAN

26 534 14:00 51 kg
Mcwilliams ARROYO 12 12.09.2009
Tugstsogt NYAMBAYAR

26 535 14:00 54 kg
Detelin DALAKLIEV 12 12.09.2009
Eduard ABZALIMOV

26 536 14:00 57 kg
Vasyl LOMACHENKO 12 12.09.2009
Sergey VODOPIYANOV

26 537 14:00 60 kg
Domenico VALENTINO 12 12.09.2009
Jose PEDRAZA

26 538 14:00 64 kg
Roniel IGLESIAS SOTOLONGO 12 12.09.2009
Frankie GOMEZ

26 539 14:00 69 kg
Jack Robert CULCAY-KETH 12 12.09.2009
Andrey ZAMKOVOY

26 540 14:00 75 kg
Abbos ATOEV 12 12.09.2009
Andranik HAKOBYAN

26 541 14:00 81 kg
Artur BETERBIEV 12 12.09.2009
Elshod RASULOV

26 542 14:00 91 kg
Osmai ACOSTA DUARTE 12 12.09.2009
Egor MEKHONTSEV

26 543 14:00 +91 kg
Roberto CAMMARELLE 12 12.09.2009
Roman KAPITONENKO
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Mitchell Kane · Sep 12, 2009

A couple matches from earlier today:

Lomachenko-Valdez:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VChGOP15mro&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VChGOP15mro&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Mekhontsev-Usyk:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Tr87JodqlJU&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Tr87JodqlJU&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Ugotabe Kidding · Sep 12, 2009

Thanks for the vids. Lomachenko still looks pretty useful

Mitchell Kane · Sep 12, 2009

A wrap of today's results from AIBA...winners underlined and bolded:

Cammarelle crowns perfect day for Italy 12.09.2009

Italy's Roberto Cammarelle celebrates after beating Roman
Kapitonenko of Ukraine to lift the world super-heavyweight crown

World and Olympic champion Roberto Cammarelle rounded off a perfect day for the hosts Italy at the end of the XV AIBA World Championships in Milan. The super-heavyweight beat Ukraine's Roman Kapitonenko 10-5 to send the home crowd into ecstasy after they had earlier seen another Italian, Domenico Valentino, win the lightweight title.

The Mediolanum Forum was rocking when Cammarelle started his final against Kapitonenko. The super-heavyweight final was close in the first round, 3-3, but the Italian steamrollered his opponent thereafter with Kapitonenko receiving two standing eight counts.

Olympic and European champion Vasyl Lomachenko completed his medal collection by winning the featherweight gold medal. By the tender age of 21 the Ukrainian has become the holder of all three major amateur titles available to him. Today's final was just as easy as his previous four bouts here in Milan, beating Sergey Vodopyanov of Russia 12-1. "I did what I had to do," said Lomachenko, whose combined score in Milan is 63-7.

After a first round tied at 3-3, home favourite Valentino switched into top gear and, with the Milan crowd's frantic support, cruised to the first World Championship gold medal of his career with a 9-4 victory over JosÃ© Pedraza of Puerto Rico. The 25-year-old lightweight's progress is gradual: he was third in Mianyang (2005), second in Chicago (2007) and now first.

In the day's first final 2008 Olympic silver medallist Serdamba Purevdorj won Mongolia's first-ever World Championship gold medal after a close match against 2006 European champion David Ayrapetyan, an Armenian-born boxer competing for Russia.

After the first round the two were tied at 3-3, then the slightly taller Asian took a three-point lead in the second and went on to win the clash of the two southpaws, 10-5. "It was all in my hands until the second round," said the defeated Ayrapetyan, "but he changed his tactics in the third round and that confused me and took a while for me to concentrate. So you saw the result."

At flyweight (51kg) the more accurate 23-year-old McWilliams Arroyo of Puerto Rico dominated the first round, winning 3-1 against the surprise finalist from Mongolia, Tugstsogt Nyambayar. Arroyo, a Pan-American and Central American champion, increased his lead in the second period to 10-2, then cruised to victory 18-2 and the first gold medal for his country in amateur boxing since 1974 when the legendary Wilfredo GÃ³mez became world champion at 54kg.

The European silver medallist at 54kg, Detelin Dalakliev of Bulgaria, a defensive specialist, kept dancing and waiting for a chank in the armour of 24-year-old Russian Eduard Abzalimov. The Russian, former junior world champion and World Cup winner, could not find the key to the Bulgarian's style and although Abzalimov came back strongly in the final round it was too little, too late and Dalakliev won thr gold medal for Bulgaria, 5-3.

Roniel Iglesias of Cuba justified the light-welterweight seedings by overcoming 17-year-old Frankie Gomez of the USA. The first seed connected with several good headshots in the second round after a tied first period. The youngest finalist of the Milan event was no match for the World Cup winner and Olympic bronze medallist, who won 8-2.

"I felt very good about the gold medal and it has always been a goal to win a world championship," said Iglesias. "I'm very happy! I have prepared myself very well for this competition and I felt great during the final."

Jack Culcay-Keth of Germany upset Andrey Zamkovoy of Russia, the runaway favourite for the welterweight (69kg) title. The shorter German was tactically superior to Zamkovoy, who had beaten Serik Sapiyev of Kazakhstan in the semi-final. Culcay-Keth was a surprise silver medallist at last year's European Championship in Liverpool and now, with a 7-4 victory, he is a world champion.

"He was a very strong opponent," said Culcay-Keith. "I've studied him a few times but what can I say? I did it! I'm extremely happy about winning the world title. I can't describe it now and it will probably take some time to sink in and I still won't believe it tomorrow. I had some very strong opponents but came through in the end. Now it's time to look ahead to the 2012 Olympics. I'm in the German army and will stay there because it will help me to prepare for the road to London."

Abbos Atoev, the highly favoured Uzbekistani world champion from two years ago in Chicago at light-heavyweight, gave no chance to his Armenian opponent Andranik Hakobyan in the middleweight final. Hakobyan was not an outsider by any means, having won the World Cup last December in Moscow but by the end of the second round the shorter, more powerfully built Atoev was ahead 8-0, eventually running out a 9-0 winner.

In a thrilling light-heavyweight final Artur Beterbiev, the 2006 European champion, outlasted Asian champion Elshod Rasulov of Uzbekistan. Rasulov was ahead most of the time, avoiding head to head exchanges, but connecting on quick jabs and hooks. However, the physically stronger Russian caught him twice, once in the second and once in the third round with devastating blows to the head. Rasulov was saved by the mandatory eight count but Beterbiev finally won 13-10, to the huge delight of the crowd.

After four lost finals Beterbiev's success was a welcome one for the Russians, and heavyweight Egor Mekhontsev was out to repeat the feat against top seed Osmai Acosta of Cuba. Mekhontsev's pedigree - a spectacular win in the semi-finals against Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine - promised a second Russian gold medal and the big heavyweight did not disappoint, beating Acosta by a decisive margin, 12-2.
Click to expand...

Mitchell Kane · Sep 12, 2009

Vasyl Lomachenko vs Sergey Vodopiyanov - Part 1

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Vasyl Lomachenko vs Sergey Vodopiyanov - Part 2

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Mitchell Kane · Sep 12, 2009

Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo vs. Frankie Gomez

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Domenico Valentino vs. Jose Pedraza

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ElTerriblee · Sep 12, 2009

Thanks for teh updates Mitchell. Culcay-Keth is from the same really small club I used to play football and tennis as a kid. They didnÂ´t even have a boxing programme ten years ago and and now they produced GermanyÂ´s first world champion in 15 years. Amazing. ::

Mitchell Kane · Sep 12, 2009

ElTerriblee said: ↑

Thanks for teh updates Mitchell. Culcay-Keth is from the same really small club I used to play football and tennis as a kid. They didnÂ´t even have a boxing programme ten years ago and and now they produced GermanyÂ´s first world champion in 15 years. Amazing. ::
Click to expand...

It's a small world. ::

Here's the youtube of his fight...

Jack Robert Culcay-Keth vs. Andrey Zamkovoy:

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And others...

Serdamba Purevdorj vs David Ayrapetyan:

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Detelin Dalakliev vs. Eduard Abzalimov:

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Artur Beterbiev vs. Elshod Rasulov:

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Abbos Atoev vs. Andranik Hakobyan:

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Egor Mekhontsev vs. Osmai Acosta Duarte:

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Mcwilliams Arroyo vs Tugstsogt Nyambayar:

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Roberto Cammarelle vs. Roman Kapitonenko:

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mikE · Sep 13, 2009

The finals ended up being played on WAPA last night. I only lucked out and found it as I was checking the schedule. It wasn't posted earlier in the week.

Mitchell Kane · Aug 31, 2010

Since this is the amateur boxing repository...a press release update on the Duva Boxing venture with the Chinese national team.

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=30514

United States vs China Amateur Boxing Card Will Hit NY
Posted by: Cirillo World on 08-31-2010.

New York— Boxing promoter Dino Duva begins phase two of his long term cooperation with the Chinese Boxing Federation as he and Global Sports & Entertainment today announced a blockbuster, 13-bout amateur boxing card featuring the best Olympic hopefuls from China taking on USA’s finest when “Empires Collide” on Friday night, October 1, at Capitale (130 Bowery) in New York. It could very well be a preview of the 2012 London Olympics with fights in 10 men's and three women's weight classes.

It is appropriate that Manhattan’s Chinatown will provide the setting when such 2008 Team China Olympians as super heavyweight silver medalist Zhang Zhilei and gold medalist light flyweight Zou Shiming display their talents. Fighters on the Team China squad all fight under the auspices of the Chinese Boxing Federation. Zhilei, a 26-year-old Super Heavyweight, stands 6-7 and weighs in at 260 pounds, and Shiming is generally considered to be No. 1 in the world in his weight class.

A team of trainers, under the direction of legend Lou Duva, special boxing consultant to the Chinese National Team, will coordinate a special training camp for several of the Chinese boxers in New York on Friday, September 10. The fighters will then immediately begin training camp at Fernwood in the Poconos.

Members of the U.S. team will be announced shortly.

Tickets for "Empires Collide" are priced at $120 for Ringside, $70 for Reserved and $25 for standing room/general admission. The Reserved and Ringside seats include two complimentary beverages. They may be ordered by calling 973-291-4529 or by email at tickets@empirescollide.com. For more information, fans can log onto www.EmpiresCollide.com. Special VIP and sponsor packages are also available. More information on ticket sales outlets to follow shortly.

Multi Cultural Broadcasting is a promotional partner for the event, which is produced in conjunction with Chinatown Athletic Council and AA Entertainment.

Doors open 6 p.m. with a special entertainment schedule, and first bout is slated for 7 p.m.

“This is the first U.S. promotion for our venture with the Chinese Boxing Federation and it’s an extremely exciting one,” said Dino Duva. “I am very excited about working with Global Sports and Entertainment, USA Boxing and the China Boxing Federation and I look forward to working together in presenting a tremendous night of amateur boxing featuring the best that China and the U.S.A. have to offer. It will be an historic night.
Click to expand...

Mitchell Kane · Sep 6, 2010

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print/595772.aspx

Fight Nights to change the face of boxing

Percept India Limited and Monnet Ispat & Energy Limited on Friday announced a joint venture to promote and popularise boxing.

Under this venture, India will witness first ever home grown indoor boxing bouts called ‘Fight Night - Lagaan Cup'. Top Indian and English boxers will fight for this Cup.

The first series will start in Hyderabad on September 12. It will followed by another one in Pune on September 14.

The Indian Boxing Federation will also be involved in organising this event.

The company will promote bilateral boxing tournaments between India and other countries as well as host of events across malls, public areas and road shows.

A Fight Night has been formatted as a 90-minute event with four exhibition boxing matches (3 rounds) between amateur boxers interspersed with entertainment performances. Monnet Ispat had also signed a deal of $1 million with the Federation to become a team and kit sponsor for the next three years.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print/595772.aspx
Click to expand...

Mitchell Kane · Sep 6, 2010

http://www.steelguru.com/indian_news/Monnet_and_Percept_to_form_JV_to_promote_boxing/163831.html

India’s leading media and entertainment conglomerate Percept Limited and Monnet Ispat and Energy Limited steel and energy major announced one of its kind joint venture to promote and popularize Boxing in the country.

Under this venture, India will witness first ever home grown Indoor Boxing Bouts called ‘Fight Night - Lagaan Cup’ between top Indian and English boxers such as Mr Vijender Singh, Mr Dinesh Kumar, Dilbagh Singh and Diwakar Prasad, Martin Stead, Liam Cameron and Hosea Burton of England. The first series will kick start in Hyderabad on Sept 12th at HICC followed by Pune on Sept 14th at Balewadi Sports Complex.

Highlights

1. Fight Nights is India’s 1st ever home grown indoor boxing bouts between top Indian & International players

2. Fight Night - Lagaan Cup is Bilateral boxing tournaments between India and UK

3. Boxers like Vijender Singh, Dinesh Kumar from India and Martin Stead, Liam Cameron, Hosea Burton from UK to participate in Lagaan Cup

4. JV will promote through Feature Films, Television Shows, Live Events & Talent Promotion

This joint venture will work closely with the national sports body, Indian Boxing Federation. The joint venture will have first of its kind partnership between two respective leaders in contrasting fields coming together to promote a sport. The company will promote bilateral boxing tournaments between India and other countries as well as host of events across malls, public areas, and road shows through slums, talent promotion and most importantly work on grassroots development of the sport.

Mr Shailendra Singh joint MD of Percept India said that “India so far has been considered as a one sport nation and cricket truly has been a remarkable success story. However I have always strongly felt that boxing has the potential to be the number two sport in India. Fight Night as a product is our idea to change the face of Indian boxing including a solid grassroots program, taking the sport to the masses and hence growing it from ground up. We are confident that once the Indian people come out there and experience this well packaged sport and entertainment product, the future of the sport would be well secured.”

Adding to this, Mr Sandeep Jajodia executive vice chairman and MD of Monnet Ispat said that “In recent times boxing as a sport has come in the forefront with Indian boxers gaining recognition across national and international championships. Amateur boxing in particular has gained popularity in the last couple of years with the Indian boxers winning over 100 international medals. India boasts of some of the World’s Top Boxers, who like cricketers are making waves in the sporting industry. The sport is slowly and steadily gaining importance and through this venture, we aim to further the overall experience and spirit of the game. We believe in this partnership and the sport and will work hard towards bringing success to Indian boxing.”
Click to expand...

Haymaker · Sep 6, 2010

Top Indian Boxers? WTF?

Mitchell Kane · Sep 6, 2010

Haymaker said: ↑

Top Indian Boxers? WTF?
Click to expand...

Vijendar Kumar won India's first ever Olympic boxing medal at the last Olympics...it was bronze, the same he finished the AIBA World Championships with last year...but I believe he's ranked first in his weight class (middleweight) due to points.

Just to note, four years earlier, Zou Shiming won China it's first Olympic medal at the 2004 Games...which was also bronze.

Haymaker · Sep 6, 2010

Mitchell Kane said: ↑

Vijendar Kumar won India's first ever Olympic boxing medal at the last Olympics...it was bronze, the same he finished the AIBA World Championships with last year...but I believe he's ranked first in his weight class (middleweight) due to points.

Just to note, four years earlier, Zou Shiming won China it's first Olympic medal at the 2004 Games...which was also bronze.
Click to expand...

I ignored that info, it just seems strange to associate India with boxing.

Mitchell Kane · Oct 17, 2010

Not sure what this is or what it means, but whatever...

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slug=ap-ambassadorironmike&print=1

Tyson plans to be a boxing ambassador in China
By TIM DAHLBERG, AP Boxing Writer
Oct 14, 5:13 pm EDT

LAS VEGAS (AP)—Just call him Ambassador Iron Mike.

Mike Tyson was once the baddest man on the planet. Now he’ll be circling that planet as a self-titled ambassador to spread the gospel of boxing to the Chinese.

“I didn’t even know what an ambassador really was,” he said Thursday. “When I think of ambassadors I think of living off government money and jet-setting with girlfriends.”

No government money just yet, though a Chinese company is paying Tyson to visit in December. No girlfriends, either, especially since his wife is due with a baby boy early next year.

And no real formal agenda just yet for his trip to China in December, either.

“I know he wants to see Chairman Mao’s body,” said Gary Yang, an executive with Tianjin International Sports Development in China.

The Chinese want to see Tyson, too, if Yang and his partner, Qing Yu, are correct. They held a news conference Thursday to announce a deal for Tyson to visit the country and scout boxers for a series of matches in the city of Tianjin.

The news seemed to be news to Tyson, too.

“Mike hasn’t been brought up to speed really,” promoter Sterling McPherson said. “But if Mike likes what he sees there can be many, many more trips to China.”

Apparently Tyson hadn’t brought the Chinese up to speed, either, because he already saw Mao’s tomb on a visit to China in 2006. Tyson has spoken fondly of Mao in the past, and has a tattoo of the former Chinese leader on his right arm.

As appearances go, it was a far cry from the days when a glowering Tyson used to show up an hour late and then sneer at anyone who dared ask a question. Reborn over the last few years as an actor, dancer and pitchman, he got a chance to show off his new comedic side.

“Can we talk about what will take place on the trip?” someone asked.

“Yeah, tell me,” Tyson replied. “I’m pretty interested.”

Just what Tyson will be doing in China other than visiting Mao’s tomb in Tiananmen Square wasn’t quite clear, though what was clear was that he was being paid good money to do it.

“I’m just as clueless as you,” Tyson said. “But I’m an ambassador so I should have some say.”

Yang talked vaguely about having Tyson looking for talent for boxing shows in China, where amateur boxing is thriving, and perhaps helping to sell tickets to shows the company plans to put on.

“Chinese people just love Mr. Tyson,” he said. “He’s above (Muhammad) Ali there, though I shouldn’t say that.”

Tyson probably shouldn’t have said so much either, but the news conference was faltering and in need of rescue. In answer to a question, he said he liked Thai food better than Chinese, but remembered from his earlier trip how to say hello in Chinese.

When it came to the state of boxing in China, he had some ways to make it better, too.

“Didn’t you guys have an altercation with the Japanese people at one time?” he asked Yang. “Here’s what you do: You go looking for a Chinese fighter who will beat the evil Japanese guy and get revenge. That will sell.”
Click to expand...

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