Barnes handed good Beijing draw

Barnes reached the last eight in the 2007 World Championships

Belfast boxer Paddy Barnes will need to win just two fights to win a medal at the Beijing Olympics.

Friday's draw at the Dockworkers Stadium in Beijing gave him a bye in the first round.

Barnes is likely to face Jose Luis Meza of Equador in round two and the 2007 world quarter-finalist would be fancied to progress to the last eight.

Barnes cannot face the reigning light flyweight world champion from China, Zou Shiming, until the semi-finals.

The Chinese boxer, who claimed a bronze medal at the Athens Games, is being strongly tipped to win his country's first ever Olympic boxing gold.

The Belfast man's bye means he will not be in action until next Saturday.

Irish light-heavyweight Kenny Egan also appears to have a good chance of claiming a medal following the draw.

Egan is the first Irish boxer in action on Saturday when he face Julius Jackson of the US Virgin Islands.

Fancied middleweight Darren Sutherland has a first-round bye but he will face highly-rated Algerian Nabil Kassel in his opening bout.

John Joe Joyce and John Joe Nevin have both landed tough first-round draws.

Light welterweight Joyce will face Hungary's 2003 world championship bronze medallist Gyulu Kate in his opening bout on Sunday.

Kate also won a bronze medal at the 2006 European Championships so Joyce is facing a tough task.

Mullingar man Nevin boxes 2007 African Championship runner-up Abdelhalim Ourradi of Algeria in his opening bantamweight contest on Tuesday.