Kritik und Lob » oach Maria Taurua said.Steph has

RIO DE JANEIRO -- So when the dust settled over the hype machine that welcomed the three infamous professional boxers to the Olympic Games it was all a bit flat inside the venue.The trio of mercenaries that jumped at the opportunity to fight for their country at the Olympics were an odd threesome and their arrival, like their predicted early departure, barely registered here in the boxing hall at Riocentro.The Cameroonian Hassan NDam NJikam, who held a version of the world middleweight title in 2012, had gained over a stone to compete at light-heavyweight and he fought like he had twelve rounds and not just three to complete his work. He looked a bit sad in the end, frustrated and confused.NJikam actually boxed at the 2004 Olympics but in Rio he was simply not busy enough and lost easily to Brazils Michel Borges on the opening day. NJikam had taken part in a professional fight in France just eight days before his exit from the Olympics and that was an error in preparation and an insult to the boxers that had travelled out to Brazil three or four weeks earlier to acclimatise.The Italian professional featherweight champion Carmine Tommasone, unbeaten in 15 as a professional, scraped through an opening bout and then hit fresh air for three rounds as he chased the Cuban Lazaro Alvarez, the favourite for gold. It proved that the best Cuban amateur is better than the best Italian professional and that was not a shock, it was just inevitable. The Cubans are, for all intents and purposes, professional boxers without the glamour and cash.The last of the trio to lose was Thailands Amnat Ruenroeng and he was the one with the highest profile, the one that abused the system the most. Ruenroeng took outrageous advantage of the decision by the Olympic sports governing body to allow all and any professional boxer access to the gold hunt.Just 42 days after losing his world flyweight title by stoppage, Ruenroeng qualified for the Olympics but was forced to jump up in weight from flyweight to lightweight, an increase in excess of 25 pounds and six professional weight divisions. They are questions about his medical eligibility and there should be questions asked about his jump up in weight.Ruenroeng, 36, actually fought at the Olympics in 2008 and won his return to the Olympic ring on Sunday, but was brutally manhandled by the slick Frenchman Sofiane Oumiha and stopped on Tuesday. The Thai fighter looked like an old, small man and his exit will surely make AIBA, the sports governing body, look closely at the way they select professionals in the future.The three high-profile professionals were not an embarrassment but they added absolutely nothing to the event and denied young amateurs a chance to compete at the Olympics during the qualification event in July in Venezuela. Perhaps before the Tokyo Games all the professionals of all ages, shapes and sizes should have their own qualification event with just the winner reaching the Olympics.Now that the three known professionals have lost it is down to the unknown professional, Mathieu Bauderlique, to push on and get close to a medal. Bauderlique, a French fighter, is unbeaten in 10 as a professional, and is a veteran of the APB, a tournament where boxers compete without vests and over six, eight, ten and twelve rounds. Bauderlique is the APB champion and that gained him access to the Olympics, where I expect him to meet the great Cuban Julio Cesar La Cruz in the semifinal.Nobody in Rio will miss or mourn the departure of Ruenroeng, NJikam and Tommasone, but it is very likely that they will remember Bauderlique. The Frenchman could be the ideal fighter and perhaps hungrier, younger and more exciting professionals can be blended with the state-run professional amateurs from Cuba, Kazakhstan, Russia and Uzbekistan in the future. Larry Bird Jersey . The team says the Spain international has a muscle pull in his right leg. Barcelona hosts third-division side Cartagena in the return leg of their round-of-32 tie after winning their first meeting 4-1. Discount Celtics Jerseys . Two pressure cooker bombs exploded near the finish line of the April 15 race in an area packed with fans cheering the passing runners. Three people were killed and more than 260 injured, including at least 16 who lost limbs. http://www.cheapcelticsjerseyschina.com/ . -- Former San Diego Chargers safety Paul Oliver was found dead at his Atlanta-area home Tuesday night, and a medical examiner said Wednesday that the ex-player committed suicide. Womens Celtics Jerseys .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. Authentic Celtics Jerseys . PAUL, Minn. The Sunshine Coast Lightning have snared Diamonds shooters Caitlin Bassett and Stephanie Wood for the inaugural season of the eight-team Australian netball league.The pair were announced on Thursday as the first signings for the Lightning, a joint venture between the NRLs Melbourne Storm and the University of the Sunshine Coast.Its a significant coup for the new franchise, with Bassett arguably the worlds best shooter and Wood a player firmly on the rise.I believe we are looking at the next permanent Diamonds shooting combination, coach Maria Taurua said.Steph has the maturity, speed and smarts, and has now been given the opportunity to expand her playmaker skills, shes a product of Sunshine Coast and was the first player that we needed to sign.Caitlin is world class. Shes agile, unassumingly physical and mentally tough and she will do her job ovver and over again under extreme pressure.ddddddddddddCaitlin has, and will continue, to win games single-handedly. She is the linchpin of our team.Bassett, 28, has played only in her home state of Western Australia, first for the Perth Orioles and then for the West Coast Fever in the trans-Tasman competition.Wood, 24, is from Queensland and played for the Sunshine Coast Lynx in the state league before signing for the NSW Swifts two years ago, playing a part in their back-to-back grand final defeats.I was ready to give netball up a couple of years ago so I am just taking the opportunities given to me, and having another team in Queensland has given me the chance to come back home which is a dream come true, Wood said. ' ' '