Kenny Lally knew the task at hand Wednesday at the Elite Continental boxing championships in Quito, Ecuador.
He needed to beat his Venezuelan opponent, Alexander Millan, to advance to the medal round.
That's exactly what Lally did, hammering out a 7-1 decision in the 54-kilogram weight class to guarantee at least a bronze medal for the 20-year-old Inner City Boxing Club member.
He will take on a Cuban fighter today, one of two matches Lally has left in the tournament.
The tournament, which started Monday and ends Saturday, is a qualifying event for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Lally was a late replacement for 54-kilogram national champion Joey Laviolette of Nova Scotia, who turned down the chance to represent Canada at the tournament.
Also entered are teams from Argentina, Brazil, Bahamas, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Virgin Islands and Venezuela.
Bob Pegues of Inner City is coach of the Canadian team.
"Anyone still in (Thursday) has medals of some colour," said Pegues, in an email sent to the Citizen. "(His) win today matches Kenny with Cuba. He is as excited about boxing a Cuban as he is about beating the Venezuelan."
The elevation of Quito is 2,650 metres, the second-highest capital city in the world, and it is taking a toll on Canadian fighters.
The altitude is definitely tough on us all," Pegues said. "Hard to describe but you just can't get your breath, especially after exertion. The counties mostly unaffected are Mexico, Ecuador and Brazil mostly."
