The United States’ Joshua Temple to Face Cuba’s Lenier Eunice Pero in his Youth Olympic Games Opener

(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Heavyweight Joshua Temple (St. Louis, Mo.) will make his Youth Olympic Games debut on Saturday evening, taking on Cuba’s Lenier Eunice Pero on the first day of boxing competition in Singapore. The contest will be second of two heavyweight bouts taking place at the International Convention Centre on Saturday night.

Temple is the lone U.S. competitor in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, which began on Monday. The heavyweight titlist at the 2010 Under 19 National Championships, Temple was chosen to participate in the event following AIBA’s decision to grant an at-large slot in the heavyweight division to the United States.

Preliminary action is being contested in all of the eleven weight divisions in two full sessions of boxing action on Saturday. The winner of the bout between Temple and Pero will advance on to semifinal action, which will take place on Tuesday, August 24. Sixty-six boxers in 11 different weight divisions are competing in the unique event, which gives athletes valuable international experience on and off the playing field at a young age.

Unlike the senior division which showcases three, three-minute rounds, the Youth Olympic Games participants are competing in four, two-minute rounds. In addition, only one bronze medalist will be crowned in each of the 11 weight divisions with the two semifinalists facing off in direct competition for the bronze medal.

Boxing is one of six sports being contested at the International Convention Centre during the Youth Olympic Games. The facility, which is located in the heart of Singapore’s business district is also hosting Fencing, Handball, Judo, Taekwondo, and Wrestling competition.

For the most current information on the 2010 Youth Olympic Games, go to http://www.singapore2010.sg.

USA Boxing, as the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing, is the United States’ member organization of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).