Thai boxer Manas defeats world champion to sail through semi-finals

BEIJING, Aug 17 (TNA) - Thailand's defending champion Manas Boonjumnong bested two-time world champion Serik Sapiyev of Kazakhstan 7-5 on points in the quarter-finals of the 64kg light-welterweight boxing event at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, cruising into the semi-finals.

Mr. Sapiyev won world titles in 2005 and 2007 but lost to Thailand's Manusin the semi-finals of the 2006 Asian Games.

Mr. Manus' victory guaranteed him at least a bronze in the 2008 BeijingOlympic games.

"I got tired in the third round. It was the toughest fight but most worth while," Manus said in a telephone phone interview with Thai News Agency'sModernine television.

"I was also wavering, because my points were cut after I tried to hold him for a while, but finally I became more focused and finally won the match,"the 28-year-old Thai boxer said.

Manus will face Cuba's Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo, who defeated Russia's Gennady Kovalev 5-2, for a place in the final in the next bout scheduledfor August 22.

Manus now becomes the first Thai boxer to win medals in two consecutiveOlympic games.

He vowed to defeat his Cuban opponent as a birthday present for his motheras the next fight falls on his mother's birthday.

The Thai boxer also pledged to transform himself to be a good person.

Mr. Manus' heavy spending became the talk of the town for squandering Bt20 million (US$600,000) earned after winning the gold medal in Athens in 2004within months.

Thailand won one gold, one silver and one bronze medal at the 2004Olympics.