IF Olympic boxing gold medals were decided on determination alone, Tully product Paul Fleming would be a shoo-in, according to his father Steve.
Fleming, 20, will make his Olympic debut in Beijing today at 4.45pm (Qld time) when he faces off against 24-year-old Khedafi Djelkhir of France in the featherweight (57kg) division, fulfilling a dream he has harboured since the age of 12.
"Since Paul ran the torch (through Tully) for the Sydney Olympics he’s wanted to go to the Olympics as a boxer," Mr Fleming said yesterday from his Tully home.
"He’s worked hard for it. He’s the sort of kid who, if he sets himself a goal, he goes for it."
Mr Fleming and his wife Donna will spend tonight glued to the Olympic Games coverage waiting to see their boy and will be doing it in style on a new 127cm television.
"We’ve got the big TV now," Mr Fleming said.
"We couldn’t afford to go to Beijing so I said to the missus the next best thing we could do was watch him on a big TV."
Mr Fleming said the amount of well-wishes his family had received from the Tully community in the lead-up to today’s bout had been overwhelming.
"Our phone has been running hot for days with everyone wishing us the best and everywhere you go people hold you up and ask how Paul’s going."
Mr Fleming said regardless of how Paul fared, the family was proud that he was an Olympian.
Also eagerly awaiting Paul’s Olympic debut is his former coach, Gavan James of Kewarra Beach.
Mr James said Paul was a raw product when first brought to him after winning a junior national title but it did not take long for him to realise he had a special fighter on his hands.
"The sad thing was, he hadn’t been taught a lot (about boxing) and was going on his own ability," he said.
"But he quickly improved his skills. He’s got a very good boxing brain which is something you’re born with. He’s got that flair."
Also in action at the Olympics is Cairns Dolphin Rohanee Cox whose Opals outfit defeated Belarus 83-64 in their opening match of the women’s basketball tournament.
