Pro boxers N'Dam, Ruenroeng qualify for Rio despite losses

VARGAS, Venezuela (AP) — Professional boxers Amnat Ruenroeng of Thailand and Hassan N'Dam of Cameroon have won spots at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics despite losing in the final qualifying tournament in Venezuela.

Ruenroeng and N'Dam both advanced far enough in the tournament to qualify for Rio even with losses in Friday's bouts.

They are the only prominent boxers who took advantage of AIBA's controversial decision to allow pros to compete for spots in Rio.

The 36-year-old Ruenroeng was stopped in the second round of his lightweight bout against Mexico's Lindolfo Delgado. Ruenroeng also fought at the Beijing Games.

N'Dam lost a unanimous decision to Colombia's Juan Carlos Carrillo, 24, who knocked out two previous opponents in Venezuela. The 32-year-old N'Dam competed in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-07-09

The Olympics should be purely amateur. Professionals in all sports have access to facilities that amateurs do not have and of course have far more time training than the man or woman that has a job to do outside of sport.