HOUSTON, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Cuba and surprising Uzbekistan each sent four
team members to the quarter-finals of the world amateur boxing
championships.with second-round victories on Sunday.
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 of South Korea and Juan Hernandez, the 1998 Goodwill Games gold
medallist, beat Larry Mosley of the United States 10-3.
The Cubans added two more victories in the evening session. Diogenes Luna
won on points over Victor Puiu of Romania in a second-round light welterweight
match and Jorge Gutierrez advanced to the light middleweight quarter-finals with
an 8-2 victory over Malik Dziarra of Belarus.
For Uzbekistan, middleweight Utkirbek Haydarov, light welterweight 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 of Finland to give
Uzbekistan.
Russia won three of four bouts.
Light flyweight Aleksan Nalbandian edged Ivan Staphovic of 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 of France 15-7.
In the evening session, Volodymyr Sydorenko, the 1998 European flyweight
champion from the Urkraine, advanced to the quarter-finals when the referee
stopped his contest with Raukal Eraliev of Uzbekistan.
For the first time since 1995, the United States will be represented in the
quarter-finals, sending three boxers on.
Brian Viloria, the U.S. light flyweight champion, upset Rudolf Dydi of the
Slovak Republic 9-4, Ricardo Williams Jr. outpointed Victor Castro of Argentina
9-2 and flyweight John Medina outpointed Sirighai Phosuwan of Thailand 5-4.
``The team in 1997 didn't believe in the regime or the adaptaptions needed
to be successful internationally,'' U.S. coach Tom Mustin said. ``Since that
time we have refined our system and changed our philosophy to assure that we
don't suffer the same embarrassment ever again.''
France's Frederick Esther, the 1998 European light middleweight champion,
advanced with a 6-1 decision over Karoly Balzsay of Hungary.
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.
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 of the Czech Republic, the 1997 world championships bronze
medallist, won his light welterweight bout with Michael Strange of Canada 4-2.
22:08 08-22-99
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