2008 Olympic Games page 

Another world champion was eliminated from the Olympic Games boxing competition on Friday as India's Akhil Kumar pulls of a huge upset in the 57kg preliminaries beating Russia's Sergey Vodopyanov on count back in the Workers' Gymnasium in Beijing, China.

Kumar, the Commonwealth Games champion, trailed 4:2 after two rounds and 6:4 midway through the third before pulling off a superb comeback to tie the bout at 9:9 before winning on count-back.

*I knew I would win," Kumar said. "I had said earlier I would win and I have done it. It was really difficult to stage a comeback after going 6:4 down but I had faith in my God. Today is India's Independence Day. I have given a gift to the nation in the shape of this victory."

Pic: The coaches of Pichai Sayota (THA) look for some devine intervention

"Vodopyanov was constantly changing his strategy," Kumar's coach Gurbakhsh Singh said. "Sometimes he was fighting using his right, while sometimes he would become a southpaw. It was really problematic and that's why he took a 6:4 lead. But Akhil is Akhil and he staged a comeback. Only lions can stage such a fightback."

The total number of world champions to be bundled out of the 2008 Olympic competition now numbers four with 51kg Rau'shee Warren (USA), 57kg Albert Selimov (RUS) and 81kg Abbos Atoev (UZB) all losing in the first round while 60kg Frankie Gavin (GBR) didn't make the weigh in.

In earlier bouts on Friday, 57kg silver medallist from the AIBA World Championships Chicago 2007 Vasyl Lomachenko (UKR) beat Athens 54kg bronze medallist Bahodirjon Sultonov (UZB) 13:1 while 60kg Athens quarterfinalist Jongsub Baik (KOR) beat Pichai Sayota (THA) 10:4.

Meanwhile, 57kg Athens Olympic champion Alexey Tishchenko (RUS), now competing in the 60kg class, beat Anthony Little (AUS) 11:3.

Later in the morning session, Romania's Georgian Popescu gained in confidence with a steady 14:4 win in the 60kg class over Francisco Javier Vargas (MEX).

"I have confidence I will win an Olympic medal because, firstly, I have a good foundation, and secondly, I have won many medals so I think my dream could be realised," Popescu said.

While Puerto Rico's Jose Pedraza Gonzalez was a picture of disappointment after losing to Daouda Sow (FRA) 13:9. "I had a Plan A, Plan B, Plan C but nothing seemed to work out. In the end, me legs didn't work very well and I felt fatigued."

Pic: The Workers' Gymnasium is in fine form as Rasheed Olawale Lawal (NGR) takes on Hrachik Javakhyan (ARM)

Another key result saw 2005 60kg world champion Yordenis Ugas (CUB) comfortably beat AIBA World Championships Chicago 2007 silver medallist Domenico Valentino (ITA) 10:2. "He did well but unfortunately he faced a good one," Valentino's coach Francesco Damiani said. "This Cuban is good. He didn't let Domenico attack."
 
The Olympic Games boxing competition continues on Saturday with the last of the preliminaries in the 48kg, 51kg and 75kg divisions starting at 13:30.