HAVANA, Aug. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- The gold medal won by Cuban Yuriorkis Gamboa at the Olympic boxing tournament on Saturday was a great dream come true, said Carlos Gamboa, father of the pugilist.

    "Although no one forecasted a victory of my son, and some even doubted he could reach the final, I always thought he would give this immense joy to the people of Cuba and of Guantanamo, his birthplace, in particular," said the boxer's father.

    Yuriorkis won the top honor, by defeating French 2001 world champion Jerome Thomas in the 51kg final, also the bronze medalistin Sydney 2000.

    "This is a compensation life gives me," said Carlos, who also practiced boxing in his juniors but had to content with a nationaltitle as a teenager in 1981.

    En route to his final, Yuriarkis, the Pan-American champion in 2003, thrashed Germany's Rustamhodza Rahimov 20-11 in the semi, the bronze medalist in 2003, after a tough road against Russian Georgi Balakshin, world's third placer in Belfast 2001, and SonjitJongjohor, winner in Bangkok 2003.

    Yuriorkis, 22, explained later he did not think too much of hisrivals and reiterated his wish to dedicate this victory to his father, who led him to the sport in Guantanamo. Enditem