BEIJING—Harry Tañamor had his routine afternoon nap after his prelunch workout Monday, two days before he steps into the ring against a foe from Ghana he hardly knows.

“Hindi ko pa siya nakikita,” said Tañamor, the Army sergeant who faces 20-year-old Ghanaian Manyo Plange Wednesday evening at the Bejing Workers’ Stadium at the start of the light-flyweight preliminaries.

“Bahala na si coach [Pat Gaspi] at sa laban na magkakaalaman,” said Tañamor, who had his first taste of Olympics action in Athens but fared miserably after losing to a Korean in the second round.

What Tañamor knows about Plange is extremely sketchy. “Basta magaling daw ho siya,” he told the BusinessMirror.

The BusinessMirror learned that Plange earned silver in the 2007 All Africa Games to make it here. He lost the gold to a Kenyan.

Just like Tañamor who has, besides Gaspi, a Cuban coach, the Ghanian also trained under a Cuban in Roberto Ibañez Chavez.

Chavez, it was learned, taught his wards to punch tires although conventional punching bags were available. Tañamor and the rest of the Philippine national boxers train conventionally.

China’s Zou Shiming, the reigning world champion with the flashy footwork, is heavily favored to win the light-flyweight gold medal.

Lucky for Tañamor, Zou, who beat him for the gold in last year’s world championships in Chicago, the Chinese is at the upper half of the light-flyweight bracket.

At 29, Tañamor has gotten old for another Olympics.

“Buhos na po ako lahat dito,” he said.

Tañamor and taekwondo jins Tshomlee Go and Toni Rivero have the realistic chances of winning gold in these Olympics. Taekwondo competitions only start next week and Go and Rivero are expected here over the weekend.

After Tañamor’s workout Monday morning, he got a visit from Mel Lopez, the former Manila Mayor and boxing association and Philippine Sports Commission head. Lopez was accompanied by his son, Manny, the current president of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines.

Bets hope to add gold to RP’s 9 Olympic medals

BEIJING—The 29th edition of the Olympics here marks the 19th time the Philippines has participated in the quadrennial Games. But since Paris in 1924, Filipino athletes could only bring home a total nine medals, none of them gold.

A Modest Goal

BEIJING—Miguel Molina competes in the men’s 200-meter breaststroke heats in the 2008 Beijing Olympics Tuesday night with a modest goal of breaking his own national record.

Canada’s best a Filipino

BEIJING—Mark Javier is the Philippines’ lone representative in the 2008 Beijing Olympics archery competitions, but he is not the only full-blooded Filipino here.

Harry hardly knows foe from Ghana

BEIJING—Harry Tañamor had his routine afternoon nap after his prelunch workout Monday, two days before he steps into the ring against a foe from Ghana he hardly knows.

GMA pledges $15m for wushu gold, too

BEIJING—President Arroyo proved true to her word and visited Team Philippines’ residential unit Sunday afternoon at the posh Olympic Village.

Age a plus for shooter Ang

BEIJING—All is not lost for Eric Ang, the country’s lone representative in shooting in the Beijing 2008 Olympics, who finished dead last in the men’s individual trap Sunday.

American massages Olympians’ pains away

BEIJING—Long-jumper Henry Dagmil grimaced as Todd Reiter worked on an old injury in the Filipino’s shoulder.

Todd who?

A Billion Do Care

BEIJING—Yao Ming hit a rare three-pointer Sunday to open the most watched basketball game in recorded history—East or West—and the earth moved.

Two real Olympic heroines

BEIJING—Someone ought to inform Michael Phelps that no matter how many gold medals he wins, no matter how many records he obliterates or primal screams he unleashes, he cannot emerge as the hero of the 2008 Olympics.

Tough Turf: IOC must set simple Olympics opening

THAT spectacular opening of the 2008 Beijing Olympics on August 8 really thrilled the whole world no end.

From the opening presentation up to the staging of the magnificent fireworks display, millions of viewers were kept hanging by the edge of their seats, waiting on what would come next.