August 20, 2008	Wednesday	Sha’aban 17, 1429

BEIJING, Aug 19: China’s world champion Zou Shiming kept his Olympic gold medal hopes alive with a convincing defeat of Kazakhstan’s Birzhan Zhakypov in the light-flyweight quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Zou, also a world champion in 2005 and bronze medallist in Athens four years ago, is guaranteed a medal and on this performance he will be hoping for gold after outboxing the Kazakh 9-4.

Zou next faces Ireland’s Paddy Barnes, who guaranteed himself a medal, and Ireland’s first of these Games, by beating Lukasz Maszczyk of Poland 11-5.

Thailand’s Amnat Ruenroeng crashed out in a cagey fight against Mongolia’s Purevdorj Serdamba 5-2.

Amnat, who served a prison sentence for robbery, said he was disappointed for his former inmates.

“I think everyone in prison will have felt sad as they watched me on the TV,” he said.

Serdamba will have his work cut out in the next round against Cuban Yampier Hernandez who outboxed Paulo Carvalho of Brazil 21-6.

Lightweight favourites Andrey Tishchenko of Russia and Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas remain on course to meet in the final after comfortable last eight victories.

Tischenko, already an Olympic champion in Athens at featherweight, out-pointed Darleys Perez of Colombia 13-5.

Ugas opened up an early lead against game Romanian Georgian Popescu and went on to take an 11-7 victory.

Tishchenko will meet Hrachik Javakhyan for a place in the final after the Armenian’s last eight opponent Baik Jong-Sub of South Korea pulled out due to illness.

China’s Hu Qing missed out on a medal as he lost 9-6 to France’s Daouda Sow, who faces Ugas next.—AFP