CASIMERO?S FORMER FOE THAI RUENROENG QUALIFIES FOR RIO OLYMPICS
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 12 Jul 2016
Former IBF world flyweight champion Amnat Ruenroeng of Thailand has qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics after defeating his Italian opponent Carmine Tommasone, 3-0, in the qualifying round in the Olympic Qualification event in Vargas, Venezuela last Thursday.
Earlier, Ruenroeng defeated Germany's Arthur Bril to face the Italian fighter in the next round. Ruenroeng is one of the two professional boxers, the other one was Hassan N'Dam of Cameroon, who competed in the Olympic Qualification of the International Boxing Association (AIBA).
But the 36-year-old Ruenroeng was stopped in the second round by 21 year-old amateur Mexican Lindolfo Delgado in the gold medal match Friday as the Thai settled for the silver.
N'Dam, 32, also lost a unanimous decision to Colombia's 24-year-old Juan Carlos Carrillo, who stopped two opponents by knockout. The 32-year-old N'Dam also competed in the 2004 Athens Olympics. He was a former interim WBA and WBO middleweight champion.
The loss of the two professional boxers was a solid proof that skillful amateurs can win over veteran pro boxers. AIBA approved the participation of professional boxers in the final qualifying tournament for the Rio Olympics, a move that was blocked by international boxing bodies. Ruenroeng and N'Dam were the only famous boxers who joined AIBA's qualifier for pros to compete for slots in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Ruenroeng suffered his first professional loss to Johnriel Casimero during their rematch last May 25, 2016 in Beijing, China losing his IBF title to the Ormoc City native. In their first match, Ruenroeng won over Casimero by unanimous decision on June 27, 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand. He won his IBF Flyweight title against Filipino Rocky Fuentes in January 22, 2014 by unanimous decision.
The 2016 Rio Olympics will be Ruenroeng's second since he qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics after winning a bronze medal at the 2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Chicago, where he lost in the semi-finals to Filipino Harry Tanamor, and won the gold medal at the King?s Cup in Bangkok in 2008.
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