Ikgopoleng told Mmegi Sport that he changed tact after realising in the first round that the Australian had more power and speed than him. Boyd used the advantage to race into a 5-4 lead in the first round but things changed dramatically for him after the Botswana boxer got wise to his tricks. "I was a bit down in the first round. That is why he managed to take the lead but I started to get into the match from there," Ikgopoleng said. He explained that he changed tact when he realised he could not match the power and speed of his opponent. He slowed down, became evasive and earned points by hitting Boyd when he had the opportunity. This was different from the first round when he confronted him head-on, trying to match his speed and power. The change in strategy gave Ikgopoleng a convincing 18-8 victory. Botswana sent only two boxers to the Olympics and the boxers' feat was good news after his compatriot Thato Batshegi controversially crashed out. It was a better performance by Ikgopoleng who was eliminated in the first bout when he made his Olympic debut in 2004. The boxer told Mmegi Sport that as he progresses in Beijing, the competition will get tougher but he is not worried because he believes in himself. In his next fight at the Olympics, Ikgopoleng meets Hicham Mesbahi of Morocco tomorrow. The Moroccan qualified for the round after outclassing his opponent, Jonatan Romero of Columbia, 11-3.
Team coach, Thebe Setlalekgosi said that he is proud of Ikgopoleng's achievement. "Khumiso is a very intelligent person. When you give instructions, he listens attentively," he said. He explained that in the first round, Ikgopoleng wanted to compete with the Australian boxer who had more power and energy than him. He pointed out that they told him to hit a few punches to get more points and then try and protect the lead, which is exactly what he did.
