By GREG BEACHAM — AP Sports Writer
LONDON — Little Pacquiao came up big for the Philippines in the Olympic boxing tournament.
Light flyweight Mark Barriga easily handled Italy's Manuel Cappai in the opening bout for the only Filipino boxer in London, earning a 17-7 victory Tuesday.
Barriga's one-sided win was an encouraging result for a strong boxing nation with little recent history of amateur success. The 19-year-old Barriga trained in Manny Pacquiao's camp to prepare for the Olympics, earning the nickname "Little Pacquiao" in the Filipino media.
The 5-foot-2 slugger's potent punching power suggests he was taking notes from the beloved Filipino congressman. He repeatedly tagged Cappai with shots while showing impressive movement.
Although five of the nine Olympic medals won by the Philippines were achieved in boxing, most of the best young Filipino fighters these days jump straight to the pros - including Pacquiao, who turned pro shortly after his 17th birthday.
Two Cubans also advanced during the afternoon session at ExCel, and Indian light flyweight Devendro Singh Laishram recorded the quickest stoppage of the tournament. U.S. Marine Sgt. Jamel Herring lost his opening light welterweight bout to Kazakhstan's Daniyar Yeleussinov.
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