LONDON (Reuters) – Boxing’s smallest men took to the ring on Tuesday, bringing tears, the quickest knockout of the Games so far and the first sight of a thrilling Filipino who has trained with the great Manny Pacquiao.

The men’s light-flyweights weigh no more than 49 kilogrammes and usually stand at just 162 centimetres (5 feet, four inches) but they can pack a punch as India’s Devendro Singh Laishram proved in front of another packed house.

LONDON (Reuters) – Boxing’s smallest men took to the ring on Tuesday, bringing tears, the quickest knockout of the Games so far and the first sight of a thrilling Filipino who has trained with the great Manny Pacquiao.

The men’s light-flyweights weigh no more than 49 kilogrammes and usually stand at just 162 centimeters (5 feet, four inches) but they can pack a punch as India’s Devendro Singh Laishram proved in front of another packed house.

LONDON, July 31 (Reuters) – Boxing’s smallest men took to
the ring on Tuesday, bringing tears, the quickest knockout of
the Games so far and the first sight of a thrilling Filipino who
has trained with the great Manny Pacquiao.

The men’s light-flyweights weigh no more than 49 kilogrammes
and usually stand at just 162 centimetres (5 feet, four inches)
but they can pack a punch as India’s Devendro Singh Laishram
proved in front of another packed house.

LONDON (Reuters) – Afghan boxer Ajmal Faisal did not think he would make it to the London Olympics – his training sessions were prohibitively expensive and more often than not restricted by Taliban or political party opposition.

Yet on Monday Faisal became Afghanistan’s sole representative at the boxing arena and only its second Games fighter since U.S. forces began bombing the country in retaliation against its Taliban rulers’ refusal to hand over the al Qaeda leaders responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks.

LONDON, July 30 (Reuters) – Afghan boxer Ajmal Faisal did
not think he would make it to the London Olympics – his training
sessions were prohibitively expensive and more often than not
restricted by Taliban or political party opposition.

Yet on Monday Faisal became Afghanistan’s sole
representative at the boxing arena and only its second Games
fighter since U.S. forces began bombing the country in
retaliation against its Taliban rulers’ refusal to hand over the
al Qaeda leaders responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

LONDON (Reuters) – Italian former world amateur champions Domenico Valentino and Clemente Russo joined the Olympic governing body’s growing professional ranks on Monday in the latest move to shake up the traditional route to pro boxing.

The International Boxing Association (AIBA), responsible for overseeing women box for the first time at this year’s Games, wants to stop losing fighters to the professional game every four years and hopes to do so by offering them both a living and another shot at Olympic gold.

LONDON, July 30 (Reuters) – Italian former world amateur
champions Domenico Valentino and Clemente Russo joined the
Olympic governing body’s growing professional ranks on Monday in
the latest move to shake up the traditional route to pro boxing.

The International Boxing Association (AIBA), responsible for
overseeing women box for the first time at this year’s Games,
wants to stop losing fighters to the professional game every
four years and hopes to do so by offering them both a living and
another shot at Olympic gold.

LONDON (Reuters) – Australian boxer Damien Hooper said it was worth the risk of getting into trouble with officials on Monday when he wore a t-shirt bearing the Aboriginal flag to the ring before his first round win.

The exciting light-heavyweight, no stranger to controversy having been sent home from the 2010 Commonwealth Games and a recent training camp for bad behavior, said he was proud to represent the indigenous Australian culture.

LONDON, July 30 (Reuters) – Australian boxer Damien Hooper
said it was worth the risk of getting into trouble with
officials on Monday when he wore a t-shirt bearing the
Aboriginal flag to the ring before his first round win.

The exciting light-heavyweight, no stranger to controversy
having been sent home from the 2010 Commonwealth Games and a
recent training camp for bad behaviour, said he was proud to
represent the indigenous Australian culture.

LONDON (Reuters) – Ihab Almatbouli became the first fighter to represent Jordan at an Olympic Games on Monday and did so in style, dancing around the ring and delivering a flurry of stinging shots to record his country’s first boxing victory.

Almatbouli, a 26-year-old light heavyweight who lives in the Palestinian refugee camp of Baqa’a, thumped Nigeria’s Lukmon Lawal by 19 points to 7 to the delight of some 20 team mates and officials whose cheers and chants drowned out the packed arena.