BEIJING, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Samoa's 81kg-class boxer Farani Tavui was sent to hospital late Saturday after he suffered a heavy punch on his head during an Olympic preliminary match against Croatia's Marijo Sivolija-Jelica.

    The 23-year-old fell down and was carried out of the arena on a stretcher. An ambulance in the Workers' Gymnasium took him to the hospital.

    Doctor Charles Butler, chairman of the AIBA Medical Commission, told Xinhua that he didn't think Farani was bleeding in the brain, but decided to send him to hospital for a CT scan for the sake of safety.

    "I'm 80 percent sure that the injury is not dangerous," Butler said, adding that he believed the boxer would be fine but must be "protected from a small percentage chance of second impact syndrome."

    Sivolija-Jelica, silver medalist at the 2005 world championships, said "I don't enjoy such injuries because it can always happen to me."

    "I am not cruel. I'm an emotional boxer, I'm not pleased," he added.