2016 RIO OLYMPICS: BOXING TRIVIA PART II
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 31 Jul 2016
Cuba won just two golds in the 2012 Summer Games, but has a powerful team led by London Olympics bantamweight bronze medalist and three-time world champion Lazaro Alvarez and three-time lightheavyweight world titlist Julio Cesar la Cruz.
Robeisy Ramirez, the 2012 flyweight gold medalist, was the last of the Cubans to qualify after moving up to bantamweight.
Great Britain entered 12 qualified boxers out of a possible 13, their largest boxing squad in 32 years.
Since becoming the first woman Olympic champion, Nicola Adams has added the world, Commonwealth and European Games flyweight division to her list of gold medal titles.
The top British Olympic medal contenders are super-heavyweight Joe Joyce, bronze medalist at the 2015 World Championships and 2015 European Games gold medalist; and the British 20-year-old boxer Muhammad Ali, namesake of The Greatest, was the gold medalist in the 2016 European Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament.
Kazakhstan is also sending 12 boxers to Rio. France, Azerbaijan, Russia and Uzbekistan entered 11. Cuba and Morocco has 10. Host Brazil is represented by 9 boxers. While United States, Venezuela and Algeria got 8 fighters.
There are 286 boxers, including 250 men and 36 women, from 74 countries who are qualified to compete in Rio.
The controversial decision was made by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) in June to allow professionals to compete in the Olympics. Only three pros have qualified including Italy's Carmine Tommasone, Cameroon's ex-WBO interim middleweight champion Hassan N'Dam N'jikam and Thailand's 36-year-old former IBF flyweight champion Amnat Ruenroeng as Olympic professional pioneers.
The "10-points must" scoring system used in professional boxing has been adopted by AIBA and will be used for the first time in the Olympics. It is so-called because the winner of a round must be awarded 10 points, with the losing boxer to be given between six and nine points by the judges depending on how closely fought the round was.
Headguards are no longer worn by male boxers. The cumbersome protective pads were worn on Olympic fighters' heads starting in 1984 because organizers wanted to improve safety, and they've been removed in Rio due to a ruling by the AIBA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that it contributes to greater concussion risk. The female boxers will continue using the headguards in Rio.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Filipino FIDE Master Mario Mangubat is the new FIDE World Senior 65 over category Rapid Champion
Sun, 24 Nov 2024Thunderdome 48 - Jude Grant vs Fano Kori
Sun, 24 Nov 2024World Boxing backs plan to create a new Confederation in Asia
Sun, 24 Nov 2024The message is clear – Asian Boxing Confederation remains united with the IBA
Sun, 24 Nov 2024OSCAR DE LA HOYA FOUNDATION HOSTS 25TH ANNUAL TURKEY GIVEAWAY FOR EAST LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY
Sun, 24 Nov 2024Life vs. Death: The Ultimate Ringside Showdown Immortalized in Pierce Egan’s Boxiana
By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, Sat, 23 Nov 2024SPORTS SHORTS 284: TEAM MARK MAGSAYO CONFIRMS RETURN TO THE RING ON DECEMBER 14
By Maloney L. Samaco, Sat, 23 Nov 2024RJP Boxing promotes in Bucana on Dec. 17
By Lito delos Reyes, Sat, 23 Nov 2024Good Prospects at Minimumweight, Light Fly, Super Bantam and Super Feather in 2025
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Sat, 23 Nov 2024Filipino International Master Chito Danilo Garma is the new World Senior Blitz champion; Filipino FIDE Master Mario Mangubat takes the bronze medal
By Marlon Bernardino, Sat, 23 Nov 2024KAMBOSOS JR SIGNS CO-PROMOTIONAL DEAL WITH MATCHROOM
Sat, 23 Nov 2024INTERNATIONAL BOXING HALL OF FAME TO ANNOUNCE CLASS OF 2025 ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5th
Sat, 23 Nov 2024Ring Master promotes in Calinan on Dec. 21
By Lito delos Reyes, Fri, 22 Nov 2024NP Bansalan boxing team in Matalam
By Lito delos Reyes, Fri, 22 Nov 2024New York, Minnesota Biggest Trade Gainers; Los Angeles Has the Rookie Draft Steal
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Fri, 22 Nov 2024