Sydney - South African featherweight Jeffrey Mathebula outboxed All African Games champion Nouzeddine Medjehoud of Algeria at the Olympic Games today - and then predicted he would win at least a silver medal.
Mathebula won 10-5 after leading from the start. The 21-year-old Mathebula was unconcerned about his second-round match-up on Saturday against Bekzat Sattarkhanov of Kazakhstan, who upset Romanian Bobirnat Ovidiu Tiberiu, a bronze medallist at last year's world championships.
SA's light heavyweight Danie Venter meets three-times Arab Games title-holder Ihab Alyousef of Syria on Wednesday.
On Sunday the SA rowers kept the flag flying. In the women's coxless pairs, Helen Fleming and Colleen Orsmond beat world record-holders Australia and world champions Canada to reach Saturday's final. In the process they set a SA record of 1min 17.83sec.
In the men's coxless pairs, SA's Ramon di Clemente and Donovan Cech were second to Yugoslavia in their heat to advance to Friday's semifinals. In the men's lightweight coxless fours, SA's Mark Raeside Rowand, Ross Hawkins, Roger Tobler and Mike Hasselbach were third in their heat, qualifying for the semis.
Conrad Stoltz fell out of the reckoning in the men's triathlon on Sunday. He completed the first leg - the 1.5km swim in 44th place, breezed through the field into first spot in the 40km cycle before slipping to 20th overall by the end of the 10km run.
Shottist Frans Swart finished 23rd in the men's trap, 13 shots off the pace, and archers Kirstin Lewis and Jill Borresen are out of the women's individual competition. Borresen went down 154-145 in the first round, while Lewis was beaten 162-147 in her second match after squeezing through by one point in her opener.
The women's hockey team lost 2-1 to Germany in their opener and the baseballers were thrashed 16-0 by defending champions Cuba.