Athens 2004 Official website
Aug 18 2004
Men’s Light Fly (48kg) : Bouts 110 to 115
ATHENS, 18 August – Iraqi Light Flyweight (48kg) boxer Najah ALI, who
is competing in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games by special invitation,
was the first contestant in the ring for the evening session of
competition at the Peristeri Boxing Hall.
Trained in New York by Maurice `Termite’ Watkins, ALI came via the
USA from war torn Baghdad to take part in the Olympic Games, and was
given a warm welcome by spectators at the venue.
Equal shortest boxer in the tournament at just 1.5m, ALI’s opponent
KWAK Hyok Ju (PRK) had a distinct reach advantage, but from the
opening bell the young Iraqi put together some blistering
combinations to the head and body and made a dream Olympic debut,
winning the bout 21-7.
Redouane ASLOUM (FRA) took two standing eight counts in round two of
his clash with Aleksan NALBANDYAN (ARM), but fought back bravely, the
two trading punches toe to toe for most of the four rounds before the
Armenian was declared the winner, 27-20.
HONG Moo Won (KOR) was too experienced for Lalaina RABENARIVO (MAD)
in the next bout, the referee stopping the contest in round three
under the 20 point rule.
Sherali DOSTIEV (TJK) lost a tight contest, 17-12, to Harry TANAMOR
(PHI), twice a World Championship bronze medallist.
The quick hands of former World Champion, Yan BHARTELEMY VARELA (CUB)
made short work of Miguel Angel MIRANDA GUERRA (VEN), the referee
stopping the contest in the third round with the Cuban ahead 24-4.
In the final Light Flyweight bout of the evening session, Suban
PANNON (THA) looked untidy at times, but did enough to make it
through to the round of 16 over Salim SALIMOV (BUL), the judges
scoring the contest 26-14.