Britain’s young lightweight hope, Amir Khan, was once again impressive as he outclassed Bulgaria’s Dimitar Stilianov in his round of 16 bout at the Olympics, while European featherweight champion Vitali Tajbert of Germany also won easily. But defending champion, Cuba’s Mario Cesar Kendelan, who is in the other half of the draw, showed in his easy 24-9 points win over Pakistan’s Asghar Ali Shah that he doesn’t intend giving up his crown easily.
Just as in his previous bout, Khan started slowly against European champion Stilianov but got stronger and stronger throughout the fight, eventually running out an easy 37-21 points winner. The 17-year-old junior world champion now meets South Korean Baik Jong Sub for a place in the Olympic semifinals in his bid to become the youngest Olympic boxing champion since American Floyd Patterson in 1952.
In other lightweight bouts, a strong second and third round performance helped Sam Rukundo of Uganda overcome Puerto Rico’s Alexander de Jesus while Russia’s Murat Khrachev was too strong for American Anthony Little.
In the featherweight division, Tajbert scored an easy points win over the man he beat for the European title, France’s Khedafi Djelkhir. He next meets impressive Cuban Luis Franco Vazquez, who defeated Brazil’s Edvaldo Oliveira on a 30-15 decision.
Nigeria’s Muideen Ganiyu scored his first win (25-16) over fellow African and Olympic debutant Khumiso Ikgopoleng of Botswana and faces North Korea’s Kim Song Guk in the last eight.
