The final between Hooper & Rapira will be telecast on-line - not sure of time and web address though. Bollywood superstar boxed out by Larine Statham - Nine MSN - 13th May 2011 Hopes of a finals stoush between two of boxing's most popular identities have been dashed after Bollywood superstar Vijender Singh lost to New Zealander Sam Rapira at the Arafura Games in Darwin. This content is protected This content is protected ...Hooper with national coach Don Abnett. Singh, who after winning India's first ever boxing medal in Beijing is expected to deliver big things at the London Olympics next year, will return to India on Sunday with bronze - leaving Rapira and 19-year-old Hooper to fight it out for gold on Friday night. Arafura Games spokesman Mark Wilton said thousands of people from around the world had watched the semi-final fight live online. He said despite the loss, Singh's Indian fans were not disappointed with his performance. "He took away his first international medal in the light heavyweight division," Wilton told AAP. "He's stepped up to the 81kg class. "It was actually a very good close fight - he went down 16-17." Arafura Games boxing coordinator Boyd Scully, who acted as a mentor to Hooper in the early years of his training, said the indigenous Olympic hopeful had gone from strength to strength, tipping him to win the final. "Damien came from a poor background, a broken family, and he's worked his way up to the top through all those problems and hopefully he stays there," Scully told AAP. "And if he continues on his way and sticks at his training, I think he'll be up there at London." Regarded as Australia's best hope of securing a boxing medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Hooper lost on a countback to former Big Brother UK contestant Anthony Ogogo. Media reports later surfaced that Hooper was sent home early from Delhi after allegedly pulling his pants down in front of an official. "As a young fella, you all get in and have a bit of fun," Scully said. "He probably just over did it a bit and he got disciplined about it." This content is protected
Good luck to him. He's got raw talent and if he keeps his head screwed on could be a definite prospect.
He's certainly getting the runs on the board in the amateur ranks - let's hope when the time comes he can do it in the pros as well.
He has more pop than the previous gen ala Broadhurst, Fletcher, Geale but would lack their discipline.
How is Singh a Bollywood superstar? Jake Carr(Vic.) gave Hooper a very tough fight at the Nationals. Two top prospects.
Brett Lee is a singing star in India! Have you had the misfortune to hear his (s)hit single? ....enough said about Bollywood and India!
Hooper went on to WIN the final: Arafura Games 2011 Results Day 5 Session 10 - FINAL Bout 126 Mens 81kg Damien Hooper (QLD) defeated Sam Rapira (NZ).
Aus did pretty well at the games... Gold: Ibrahim Balla (56kg) Luke Jackson (60kg Jeffery Hom (64kg) Cammeron Hammond (69kg) Jason Whateley (91kg) Silver: Jason Maloney (56kg) Brendan Ogilvie (60kg) Qamil Balla (64kg) John Mansour (69kg) Nick Charalmpous (75kg) Patrick Eneanya (91kg) Emile Gineste (+91kg) Bronze: Malachi Sheppard (56kg) Brett Mather (60kg) Jake Perrins (64kg) Abdul Jenzarli (69kg) Matthew Siecirs (75kg) Toutai Hala (91kg) so pretty much Aussies blokes won the top three spots in the 56kg, 60kg, 64kg, 69kg divisions.... not bad at all! In the womens we got Gold: Selena McPhee (48kg) Angela Inee (54kg) Sabrina Ostowari (57kg) Alexis Pritchard (60kg) Cassandra Lear (64kg) Arlene Blencowe (75kg) Sera Raikiwasa (81kg) Silver: Yeni Robeka Korwa (54kg) Amber Webb (57kg) Septima McArdle (64kg) Nancy Bifera (69kg) Eleni Pippis (81kg) Bronze: Fleur Logan (48kg) Shannon O'Connell (51kg) Shelley Watts (60kg) Jessica Retallack (60kg) Stephanie Mfrenguie (69kg) Tammy Taylor (75kg) Jessica Bouquet (75kg) Great results from the women as well!!!
With woman's boxing having been included for the 2012 London Olympics, the 7 golds are very promising results for our ladies.
There can't be much between them. Hooper defeated Carr 9-8 at the Nationals in March. It'll be interesting to see which of them makes it to the Oceania qualifiers for London in 2012. Congrats to Hooper on his Arafura Games gold.
Jake had the tuff run in and was tired going into that fight....IMO Jake beats him even playing field :deal
World stage success lifts Hooper from The Toowoomba - Chronicle - 17th May 2011 DALBY boxer Damien Hooper says he is ready to take on the world after returning from a promising month-long tour of Europe. The Australian 81kg amateur champion continued his impressive run of form at the Arafura Games in Darwin last week, scoring three comfortable wins on his way to winning the gold medal in his class. Hoopers run through to the gold-medal bout included two knockout wins, before putting an exclamation mark on a dominant tournament with a 20-point victory over New Zealands Sam Rapira in the final. The results in Darwin follow on from a tour of Europe which included tournaments in Germany, Czech Republic and Finland against the continents best boxers. After losing his first tournament in Germany, Hooper, 19, responded to win silver in the Czech Republic and gold in Finland. They were really world-class boxers and it was a bit of a wake-up call for me. Now I know what Ive got to do to compete against these guys, Hooper said. In Perth enjoying some time off, Hooper returns to Canberra next week to train under the watchful eye of Boxing Australia coach Don Abnett with his sights firmly set on the World Amateur Boxing Championships in Azerbaijan this October. But always in the back of his mind is next years London Olympic Games. The Olympics is just around the corner ... thats been on my mind since I was a kid, Hooper said.
