Mexican boxer Valdez feeling no Olympics pressure

London, July 24: Mexican star bantamweight boxer Oscar Valdez said he was under no pressure for the London Games, his second Olympics, even though boxing has been a source of medals for Mexico for many years.

“I don’t owe anybody anything, I have no reason to feel such pressure,” Valdez was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

“Now I’m training, getting used to the weather, the sun has come out in London and I’m anxiously awaiting my bout,” said Valdez, who qualified for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 at the age of 17, though he failed to score a medal there.

“I have more confidence and experience,” he said of his second opportunity for an Olympic medal.

“It’s very exciting to be in a different place where it’s all sports and where I hope I can make my dream come true,” added Valdez, who became the first Mexican ever to win a medal at a world boxing championship when he won bronze at the Milan 2009 World Amateur Boxing Championships.

“Winning a medal is not easy, but it’s not impossible,” said Valdez, adding,”I have trained for that, let’s see what happens, all athletes train for the same thing.”

Valdez doesn’t know yet who he will be up against, but he said, “I’m training to face any style.”

The amateur boxer said the London Games would be his last Olympics before turning to be a professional.

In Mexico’s Olympic history, boxing has produced more medals for the country than any other sport. Till now 12 out of a total of 55 medals have come from boxing, including two gold, three silver and seven bronze medals.