Light welterweight boxer Manus Boonjumnong, who won a silver medal from the Beijing Games and a gold from the Athens Games, says he wants to compete in the London Games in 2012 as his final Olympic.

Manus, 28, the first Thai athlete to win two medals from the Olympics, says with intensive training he would still be able to become a “great boxer” like the recent Beijing Games flyweight Champion Somjit Jongjohor who is already 33.

However, Manus was planning to move up to a heavier weight class as he has troubles controlling weight and believes he would perform better in a different class. 

Manus recently lost to Diaz Felix of the Dominican Republic in the final bout of the Beijing Games, adding a silver medal the gold he won from the Athens Games in 2004.

General Taweep Jantararoj, president of the Amateur Boxing Association of Thailand (ABAT), said he believes Manus would be able to continue his amateur boxing career with the national team as he already has good skills, although the boxer may need to fight in another weight class due to troubles with the weight control.

The ABAT president would allow the athletes to rest for one months then he would call them back to the training camp to prepare for the upcoming tournaments. The Thai boxing squad will be spending its one-month break to visit their various sponsors.

General Taweep declined to name the individuals working against the boxing squad as he needed to gather more evidence. The general made headlines a few days ago when he announced that certain individuals were lobbying the Olympic boxing judges and referees against the Thai boxers.

He said he did not want to punish anyone but wanted to give justice to the athletes who have gained fame for the country.

General Taweep denied the report that the London Games in 2012 would exclude boxing events as the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) is still part of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and would continue to support boxing as an Olympic sport.

Lieutenant General Jaruek Ariratchakaran, Vice President and Secretariat of the Olympic Committee of Thailand, said each medalist would receive a monthly salary for the next 20 years of 12,000 Baht for the gold medalist, 10,000 Baht for the silver medalist, and 8,000 Baht for the bronze medalist.

He said Manus, who already has a 12,000-Baht salary from his Athens gold, would also receive another salary of 10,000 Baht for his silver, although the case was unprecedented as no Thai athlete other than Manus ever claimed a second Olympic medal.
 
News: Thairath