NewsWhore
08-25-2008, 02:20 PM
President Leonel Fernandez enjoyed watching the bout of Dominican boxer Felix Diaz versus Thailand's Manus Boonjumnong at his home in Naco. As soon as Diaz won a gold medal in the Beijing Olympics, he told reporters he ordered the streets of Diaz's Santo Domingo barrio, Sabana Perdida, to be paved as soon as possible in celebration. Fernandez also provided the boxer's trainers with RD$1 million each. Felix Diaz will receive RD$7 million, a new house and a new car for his efforts. His parents nevertheless say that now it is time that he finishes high school. He quit in 10th grade to dedicate himself to boxing. Diaz won all his fights in Beijing.
Diaz won the Junior Welterweight division (140 pounds) by a resounding 12-4 score over Thailand's Manus Boonjumnong, the world champion and number one seed in the Olympic tournament. Diaz had won bronze in the Rio de Janeiro Pan Am Games. Coincidentally, another Felix, Felix Sanchez, had won the DR's first gold medal ever in the Athens 2004 Olympics. Diaz's medal is especially significant because contrary to Felix Sanchez, who was US-trained, Diaz is 100% trained in the DR. Pedro Nolasco became the first Dominican Olympic medalist when he won a bronze in boxing in the 1994 Los Angeles Olympics.
The DR's other medal winner at these Olympics, Yulis Gabriel Mercedes who won silver in taekwondo (by judges' decision), will receive over RD$5 million and a new car. Weightlifter Yuderkis Contreras was 5th, and table tennis player Nieves Xue made the finals.
The two medals placed the DR 46th, among 204 countries participating in the Olympics.
Felix Diaz and Gabriel Mercedes arrive tomorrow at 2:30pm and the Ministry of Sports is organizing a big welcome.
http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/GL/95A/GL0000000.shtml
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)
Diaz won the Junior Welterweight division (140 pounds) by a resounding 12-4 score over Thailand's Manus Boonjumnong, the world champion and number one seed in the Olympic tournament. Diaz had won bronze in the Rio de Janeiro Pan Am Games. Coincidentally, another Felix, Felix Sanchez, had won the DR's first gold medal ever in the Athens 2004 Olympics. Diaz's medal is especially significant because contrary to Felix Sanchez, who was US-trained, Diaz is 100% trained in the DR. Pedro Nolasco became the first Dominican Olympic medalist when he won a bronze in boxing in the 1994 Los Angeles Olympics.
The DR's other medal winner at these Olympics, Yulis Gabriel Mercedes who won silver in taekwondo (by judges' decision), will receive over RD$5 million and a new car. Weightlifter Yuderkis Contreras was 5th, and table tennis player Nieves Xue made the finals.
The two medals placed the DR 46th, among 204 countries participating in the Olympics.
Felix Diaz and Gabriel Mercedes arrive tomorrow at 2:30pm and the Ministry of Sports is organizing a big welcome.
http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/GL/95A/GL0000000.shtml
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)