By Fei Liena

    BEIJING, July 24 (Xinhua) -- In decades of dry spell of gold boxing medal during the Olympics, the Chinese boxing regiment finally sees a possible breakthrough this year, led by "pirate" boxer Zou Shiming.

    As the leading figure of the Chinese boxing team to fight for gold during the Beijing Olympics, Zou has many auras to his belt: runner-up in the 2003 World Boxing Championships, bronze-medalist in the 2004 Athens Olympics, winner in the 2005 World Boxing Championships and the 2007 Chicago World Boxing Championships.

    Zou is famous for his "pirate boxing", moving fast to avoid heavy punches from his opponents, keeping the move during the fight, seeking the moments to punch fast and heavy, winning by points. Speed, is his stunt.

    In his 48-kg category, Zou is almost king, with very few opponents in the world. However, he still needs to be careful with several powerful boxers, including Cuban Yampier Hernandez Gonzalez, a rival Zou has never fought with; his old "enemy" Filipino Harry Tanamor, runner-up of the 2007 World Boxing Championships; and two Asian boxers who have beaten him this year-- Thai Amnat Ruenroeng and Mongolian Purevdori Serdamba.

    Besides Zou, the Chinese 57-kg boxer Li Yang, 69-kg Hanati Silamu, +91-kg Zhang Zhilei also bear hope and competence to strike for Olympic medals. The good defender Li Yang will have to endure cruel attacks from the 2007 world champion -- Russian Albert Selimov, and Ukrainian Vasyl Lomachenko to grab a medal.

    Hanati Silamu, a 24-year-old boxer from China's Xinjiang team, runs Kazak blood in his vein. Enjoying a boxing talent plus hard training for 13 years, Silamu is now one of China's most outstanding boxers possessing both power and skill. As a bronze medalist at 2007 Chicago world championships, he will encounter world champion American Demetrius Andrade, world championship runner-up Thai Non Boonjumnong, and Cuban boxer Carlos Banteur Suarez in this Olympics.

    +91-kg boxer Zhang Zhilei is another hope of China to win an Olympic medal. Thanks to his endeavor in recent years, Zhang has greatly improved his speed, resistance, tactics, and power. Also earning a bronze medal in last year's world championships, he is regarded as a powerful competitor for an Olympic boxing medal this August. However, it's not easy at all for him to win. Around him stand Roberto Cammarelle -- bronze medalist of Athens Olympic Games and last year's worlds, Cuban power Robert Alfonso Acea, and last year's world runner-up Ukrainian Vyacheslav Glazkov.

    Though China has made history by sending 10 boxers to fight in the Beijing Olympics, the biggest regiment ever, with several boxers hopeful of winning medals, it's still no match for the traditional boxing powers like Cuba and Russia.

    Cuba has been devouring most boxing golds in former Olympics. In Barcelona, it took seven golds, Atlanta, four golds, Sydney four, in Athens, they grabbed five golds, two silvers and one bronze, the de-facto Olympic boxing "dynasty".

    Yet in recent years, Cuba's amateur boxing has suffered major setbacks, with five world champions leaving the national team. Without a choice, Cuba gave up the 2007 world boxing championships, and only earned ten seats for qualified boxers in the Beijing Olympics, not all 11 seats, the first time in 40 years.

    The Cuban regiment to Beijing will be "a troop of mystery", with the participating ten boxers all "freshmen". This will pose grave challenge for the once-powerful Cuban corps to keep up with its former Olympic records, yet it also poses pressure to its rivals as no one knows exactly how good or bad it will fight.

    Another Olympic boxing power is Russia. In Athens, it got three golds and three silvers, just next to Cuba. Among the 11 boxers fighting in the Beijing Olympics, eight had seized medals in the 2007 world championships. It's a terrifying regiment, with many of the boxers having the ability to capture gold in Beijing.

    Following the "first brigade", countries like Kazakhstan, the U.S. and Thailand make up of the second brigade. Being called the "natural boxer", Kazaks grabbed two golds and three bronzes in 2005 boxing championships. They set a record by taking ten fighting seats for the Beijing Olympics.

    In professional boxing, the U.S. is without doubt the big brother. Yet in amateur boxing, it can only be called the second class. In Sydney Olympics, the U.S. boxing team got nothing, while in Athens, it only earned one gold. To catch up with its professional fame, the U.S. boxing team has taken a one-year close-door training in a bid to seize more golds in this Olympics.

    As an Asian power, Thailand is another rival that China can't look down upon. Being both Asian boxers, Thai and Chinese boxers share similar physical condition and fighting style. They are also more used to Chinese fighters than Europeans are, which will bring some trouble to the Chinese regiment.

    Other countries such as Italy, Britain, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Germany, Turkey and South Korea also have the power to grab medals in this Olympics.