Cuban, Uzbek boxers advance

HOUSTON, AUG 23: Cuba and Uzbekistan each sent four team members to the quarter-finals of the World Amateur Boxing Championships with sec...

HOUSTON, AUG 23: Cuba and Uzbekistan each sent four team members to the quarter-finals of the World Amateur Boxing Championships with second-round victories yesterday.

Cuba, the tournament favourite, was 2-0 in the early session as Maikro Romero, the 1997 world champion light flyweight, advanced with a 10-4 decision over Ki-Suk Kim (S Korea) and Juan Hernandez, the 1998 Goodwill Games gold medallist, beat Larry Mosley (US) 10-3.

The Cubans added two more victories in the evening session. Diogenes Luna won on points over Victor Puiu (Romania) in a 2nd-round light welterweight match and Jorge Gutierrez advanced to the light middleweight quarter-finals with an 8-2 victory over Malik Dziarra (Belarus).

For Uzbekistan, middleweight Utkirbek Haydarov, lightwelterweight Mahammat Abdullaev and light flyweight Dilshod Yuldashev advanced via decision in the day session.

In the evening session, Dilshod Yarbekov advanced to the light middleweight quarter-finals with a 6-3 decision over Jani Rauhala(Finland).

Russia won three of the four bouts.

Light flyweight Aleksan Nalbandian edged Ivan Staphovic (Lithuania) 11-10. Welterweight Timour Gaidalov outpointed Oleg Mashkin of the Ukraine 11-4. Middleweight Euguewi Kazantsev beat 1998 Goodwill Games silver medallist and European champion bronze medallist Jean-Paul Mendy (France) 15-7.

In the evening session, Volodymyr Sydorenko, the 1998 European flyweight champion from the Ukraine, advanced to the quarter-finals when the referee stopped his contest with Raukal Eraliev (Uzbekistan).

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For the first time since 1995, the US will be represented in the quarter-finals, sending three boxers on.

Brian Viloria, the US light flyweight champion, upset Rudolf Dydi (Slovak Republic) 9-4, Ricardo Williams jr. outpointed Victor Castro (Argentina) 9-2 and flyweight John Medina outpointed Sirighai Phosuwan (Thailand) 5-4.

France’s Frederick Esther, the 1998 European light middleweight champion, advanced with a 6-1 decision over Karoly Balzsay ofHungary.

Romania’s Marin Simion, who took home a bronze medal in the 1997 World Championships, earned a spot in the light middleweight quarter-finals after the referee stopped his bout with Jamaica’s Sean Black in the third round.

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Simion’s teammate, Waldenmar Cucereanu, also advanced to the quarter-finals in the flyweight division with a 9-2 decision over Ireland’s Liam Cunningham.

Lukas Konecny (Czech Republic), the 1997 World Championships bronze medallist, won his light welterweight bout with Michael Strange (Canada) 4-2.