Croydon’s Joshua Buatsi will fight for a quarter-final place in the men’s light heavyweight boxing today.
The 23-year-old made a winning start to his Olympic debut, stopping Uganda’s Kennedy Katende in the third round in a dominant performance on Sunday.
Recovering from Sunday and ready to go again on Thursday 17:30 UK Time🙏🏾👊🏾 pic.twitter.com/w9D830QyLh
— Joshua Buatsi (@boxingbuatsi) August 9, 2016
Team GB member Buatsi’s last 16 clash is against the experienced Elshod Rasulov of Uzbekistan, who won gold at the 2006 and 2010 Asian Games as well as silver at the 2009 World Amatuer Boxing Championships.
However at the London 2012 Olympics Rasulov was unable to progress beyond the round of 16, losing to Russian Egor Mekhontsey, and Buatsi will be confident in progressing and continuing his aim of emulating the likes of Anthony Joshua.
Croydon resident Buatsi said: “I cannot put into words what it would mean to go on and win a medal, it would be a massive dream come true, I’m actually speechless thinking about the summer.
“Anthony Joshua and Luke Campbell, they’re still coming down to the gym and I still get to see them from time to time.
“To see where they are now and know they were in the position I’m in, it’s inspiring to see where I could be in a few years.”
Buatsi’s second fight is at 5:30pm and defeating Rasulov would set up a quarter-final clash on August 14.
Image courtesy of boxnationofficial via YouTube, with thanks
