Australia is celebrating from country Queensland to Belconnen today, with Damien Hooper clinching gold at the Youth Olympic Games in the 75kg middleweight division to become Australia's first indigenous boxer to win a world event.
The Queensland-born, AIS-trained fighter defeated Colombian Juan Carlos Carrilo 12-4 in a dominant display that will take him to Delhi next month as a genuine chance at Commonwealth gold.
It has been all class from Hooper since arriving in Singapore two weeks ago.
On his way to gold he has taken down former junior world No1 Joe Ward in his opening bout and the highly fancied Carrilo in the final last night.
Names like Fenech, Mundine and Rose have flown the indigenous flag for Australian boxing in the past but now there is a new name to watch and Hooper was thrilled to be mentioned in such company.
''I'm proud to have won this for indigenous people and to be the first indigenous world No1 is an indescribable feeling, it's amazing,'' Hooper said. ''I just wanted to be able to go home and say to my mates 'Hey I'm world champ' and now I can do it, I'm there.
''To beat Ward the other night and then to take this it's all just amazing and I will never forget it. I knew I could get him, it was just a matter of getting in front and staying there which I managed to do.''
For more on this story, including details of how Hooper's win unfolded, see the print edition of today's Canberra Times.
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