Lamhot will fight in world championship<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's Orient and Pacific Boxing Federation
\n(OPBF) junior bantamweight title holder Lamhot Simamora has the
\nchance to fight in a world championship on Dec. 17 here after
\nmonths of desperate waiting.<\/p>\n
Promoter Boy Bolang revealed over the weekend that the boxer,
\nwho was born in Medan, North Sumatra, will meet American Harold
\nGrey, the newly crowned champion of the International Boxing
\nFederation (IBF).<\/p>\n
Boy said Grey's promoter, Cedric Kushner, had given a
\ngreen light to the title bout early this month.<\/p>\n
\"Now it's all up to Lamhot whether he manages to prepare
\nhimself in such a short time,\" Boy said.<\/p>\n
The promoter had bid to contest an IBF championship bout
\npitting Lamhot against then holder Julio Barboa of Mexico early
\nthis year. The plan was delayed several times, following an
\ninjury and the poor preparation of the 28-year-old contender who
\nunderwent a two-week overseas stint in the U.S. last year.<\/p>\n
Lamhot's eligibility for the world championship was under fire
\nwhen he was knocked down by an amateur sparring partner during a
\ntraining session ahead of his bout against Barboa, slated for
\nJan. 15.<\/p>\n
The delay cost the organizers a US$45,000 down payment for
\nBarboa who would have pocketed $150,000 for the match.<\/p>\n
Grey snatched the IBF crown from Barboa two months ago in a
\ncontroversial fight. Barboa's side lodged an appeal and demanded
\na rematch. IBF ruled out Barboa's protest but has allowed a
\nmandatory rematch. IBF also is letting Grey defend his title
\ntwice during six months after wresting the championship belt.<\/p>\n
Indonesia tends to affiliate itself with IBF, rather than the
\nWorld Boxing Association (WBA) and the World Boxing Council
\n(WBC), the older boxing bodies.<\/p>\n
Elly Pical was the first Indonesian to become a world
\nchampion, when he knocked out South Korea's Ju Do-chun in their
\nIBF bantam junior title fight here in 1985. Elly lost his title
\nto Colombian Juan Polo in October 1989.<\/p>\n
Nico Thomas followed in the footsteps of Elly, who is also
\nfrom Ambon, Maluku, when he held the IBF mini flyweight crown
\nbriefly from June to September 1989. (amd)<\/p>",
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