August 15, 2008	Friday	Sha'aban 12, 1429

BEIJING, Aug 14: Manus Boonjumnong started his campaign to become the first Thai boxer to win successive Olympic titles by outpointing Japan’s Masatsugu Kawachi in style on Thursday.

Light-welterweight Manus danced around his opponent and counter-punched efficiently to win 8-1 and advance to the quarter-finals, where he will meet Kazakhstan’s Serik Sapiyev.

The day had not started well for the Boonjumnong family, Manus’s younger brother Non, a welterweight, losing on points to Egypt’s Hosam Abdin.

American world welterweight champion Demetrius Andrade, who had looked sluggish in his first bout, stepped up a gear to outpoint Russia’s Andrey Balanov 14-3 with a classy performance.

Cuba’s Carlos Banteaux ended the medal hopes of British teenager Billy Joe Saunders in the same welterweight class.

Banteaux, who had lost to Saunders on countback earlier this year, showed off his skills to win a 13-6 points decision.

“I’m a bit surprised with the score,” said Saunders, 18, after failing in his bid to emulate compatriot Amir Khan, who was 17 when he won a silver medal in 2004 in Athens.

Britain’s other Saunders, light-welterweight Bradley, who is not related to Billy Joe, also went out, losing 11-7 to Frenchman Alexis Vastine.

There was some consolation for Britain when light-heavyweight Tony Jeffries advanced by beating Colombia’s Eleider Alvarez.

The light-heavyweight class is looking wide open after another favourite, Russia’s Artur Beterbiev lost 8-2 to China’s Zhang Xiaoping.

Tajikistan’s Dzhakon Kurbanov, who had knocked out world champion Abbos Atoev of Uzbekistan in the first round, reached the last eight by outpointing Croatia’s Marijo Sivolija-Jelica.—Reuters