MANILA – Just a day before his first elimination bout, Team Philippines? lone boxing entry Harry Tanamor is over the light flyweight limit.
But Cuban coach Enrique Tissert told Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (Abap) president Manny Lopez not to worry as the 400 grams over the 48-kg. limit is not scary and worrisome.
Tissert assured Lopez the 29-year-old Tanamor can make the weight requirement in the weighing scale scheduled at 8 a.m today.
He is set to fight Manyo Plange of Ghana at 8:15 p.m. today according to the schedule posted at the Beijing Games official website.
?Just relax and do not be nervous,? Tissert said to Lopez on the eve of the scheduled bout of the boxing competition for the 29th Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
?Sinabi niyang huwag akong matakot at bahagyang overweight si Harry. He told me he has prepared the boy very well,? Lopez said,
Tissert is the Cuban boxing coach hired by the Philippine Sports Commission to handle the training program of Tanamor, the country?s only qualiifier in boxing.
Ta?amor, a veteran of the 2004 Athens Olympiad did just a light workout yesterday ?for timing and coordination and to simulate the time of competition for body rhythm and adjustments? under the guidance of Tissert and assistant coach Pat Gaspi.
?He?ll make the weight tomorrow (today),? said Tissert.
This will be the first time Ta?amor will cross path with the Plange because the Ghanian fighter opted to campaign in the flyweight during the 2007 World championship in Chicago, where he lost immediately in his first bout.
?Hindi ko pa siya nakikita at nakakalaban. Bahala na ang mga coaches ko,? Tanamor said .
Runnerup
Interestingly Plange is also being handled by another Cuban coach Robert Ibanez Chavez.
The Ghanian finished runnerup to Kenya?s Suleiman Bilali in the ninth All-African Games early this year, a reward for his intensive, hard training that included using old car tires as improvised punching bags.
On the other hand, Ta?amor qualified to the Olympics after reaching the finals against Zou Shiming of China in the Chicago championship.
In the other 13-match bout, Shiming takes on Venezuela?s Eduard Salas Bermudez, where he is task to give China its first gold medal in Olympic boxing.
Shiming is considered China?s Yao Ming in boxing.
If Ta?amor gets past Plange, then he will meet either Paulo Carvalho of Venezuela or Redouane Bouchtouk of Morocco in the round of 16. (FCC)
