Eddie Valenzuela
Encyclopedia
Eddie Valenzuela Barillas (born 22 December 1982) is a Guatemala
n amateur boxer
who qualified to the 2008 Olympic Games at flyweight
.
Valenzuela, a native of Guatemala City
, was the first Guatemalan boxer to reach the Olympics in 16 years. At the Beijing Games, he lost the only fight he contested, in the round of 32, against Thai
boxer Somjit Jongjohor
, who was the eventual gold medal
winner.
In 2009 he reached the third round at the amateur world boxing championship in Milan Italy, ranking as one of the best 16 amateur boxers at the flyweight division.
He will participate at the 2011 Pan American Games
.
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
n amateur boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
who qualified to the 2008 Olympic Games at flyweight
Flyweight
Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing less than 112 lb but above 108 lb .-Professional boxing:...
.
Valenzuela, a native of Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
, was the first Guatemalan boxer to reach the Olympics in 16 years. At the Beijing Games, he lost the only fight he contested, in the round of 32, against Thai
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
boxer Somjit Jongjohor
Somjit Jongjohor
Somjit Jongjohor is an amateur Thai boxer best known for winning gold medals in the flyweight division at the 2003 World Amateur Boxing Championships and at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.-Career:Somjit won the Asian Games 2002....
, who was the eventual gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
winner.
In 2009 he reached the third round at the amateur world boxing championship in Milan Italy, ranking as one of the best 16 amateur boxers at the flyweight division.
He will participate at the 2011 Pan American Games
Boxing at the 2011 Pan American Games
Boxing competitions at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara will be held from October 21 to October 29 at the Expo Guadalajara Arena...
.