OLYMPIC BOXING 8: 1948 OLYMPICS AT LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 26 Jan 2026
The 1948 Summer Olympics, known as the "Austerity Games," were held in London, UK, from July 29 to August 14. It was the first Olympics held after 12 years of World War II hiatus. It was marked by post-war conservation but the celebration became a symbol of healing. The Games were televised for the first time and runners began using starting blocks. Germany and Japan were excluded, while the USSR did not participate, and athletes from 59 nations competed, with the US winning most of the medals.
A total of 206 boxers from 39 nations competed at the London Games:
Argentina (8)
Australia (7)
Austria (5)
Belgium (8)
Brazil (3)
Burma (2)
Canada (7)
Ceylon (4)
Chile (5)
Czechoslovakia (5)
Denmark (6)
Egypt (5)
Finland (6)
France (8)
Great Britain (8)
Hungary (6)
India (7)
Iran (8)
Ireland (8)
Italy (8)
Jamaica (1)
South Korea (3)
Lebanon (1)
Luxembourg (4)
Mexico (1)
Netherlands (6)
Norway (4)
New Zealand (1)
Pakistan (3)
Peru (4)
Philippines (5)
Poland (6)
Puerto Rico (3)
South Africa (8)
Spain (8)
Switzerland (4)
Sweden (4)
Uruguay (8)
United States (8)
These are the winners:
Flyweight
(−51 kg)
Gold - Pascual Pérez (Argentina)
Silver - Spartaco Bandinelli (Italy)
Bronze - Han Soo-Ann (South Korea)
Bantamweight
(−54 kg)
Gold - Tibor Csík (Hungary)
Silver - Gianbattista Zuddas (Italy)
Bronze - Juan Evangelista Venegas (Puerto Rico)
Featherweight
(−58 kg)
Gold - Ernesto Formenti (Italy)
Silver - Dennis Shepherd (South Africa)
Bronze - Aleksy Antkiewicz (Poland)
Lightweight
(−62 kg)
Gold - Gerald Dreyer (South Africa)
Silver - Joseph Vissers (Belgium)
Bronze - Svend Wad (Denmark)
Welterweight
(−67 kg)
Gold - Július Torma (Czechoslovakia)
Silver - Hank Herring (United States)
Bronze - Alessandro D'Ottavio (Italy)
Middleweight
(−73 kg)
Gold - László Papp (Hungary)
Silver - John Wright (Great Britain)
Bronze - Ivano Fontana (Italy)
Light heavyweight
(−80 kg)
Gold - George Hunter (South Africa )
Silver - Don Scott (Great Britain)
Bronze - Mauro Cía (Argentina)
Heavyweight
(+80 kg)
Gold - Rafael Iglesias (Argentina)
Silver - Gunnar Nilsson (Sweden)
Bronze - John Arthur (South Africa)
Medal table
Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 South Africa 2 1 1 4
2 Argentina 2 0 1 3
3 Hungary 2 0 0 2
4 Italy 1 2 2 5
5 Czechoslovakia. 1 0 0 1
6 Great Britain 0 2 0 2
7 Belgium 0 1 0 1
Sweden 0 1 0 1
United States 0 1 0 1
10 Denmark 0 0 1 1
Poland 0 0 1 1
Puerto Rico 0 0 1 1
South Korea 0 0 1 1
Photo shows László Papp of Hungary gold medalist in the middleweight division.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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