SPORTS SHORTS 180: IRISH MAGNO DOMINATES KENYAN CHRISTINE ONGARE, CARLO PAALAM FIGHTS IRISH FOE, TEAM USA LOSSES TO FRANCE
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 26 Jul 2021
Irish Magno advanced to the round of 16 of the women's flyweight event in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics boxing competition on Sunday, July 25, at the Kokugikan Arena. Magno won via unanimous decision, 5-0, over Kenya's Christine Ongare in the round of 32.
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The Janiuay, Iloilo native now is in the same company with Nesthy Petecio in the next round, the round of 16.
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Magno and Ongare started quickly since the signal of the opening bell. The heftier Magno took command with her excellent footwork tactical offensive.
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As Ongare continues to struggle, Magno took charge and landed more combinations to finish off her opponent.
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Magno scored a unanimous decision win against Ongare, with four of the five judges scoring 30-27 in favor of the Filipina pugilist. One judge saw it a 30-26 fight, with an even bigger gap for Magno.
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She will face Thailand’s Jutamas Jitpong in the next round on July 29 at 12:34 PM Philippine time.
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Magno made history as the first Filipina boxer to qualify for the Olympics when she seized a slot in the Asia and Oceania qualifiers. She was also a 2019 Manila Southeast Asian Games silver medalist in the women's flyweight event.
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Carlo Paalam is the third Filipino boxer to plunge into action in Tokyo 2020, facing Ireland’s Brendan Irvine in a men’s flyweight fight on July 26. The Filipino is ranked No. 25 in the world while the Irish is at No. 32.
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Irvine won a silver medal in the men's 49 kg division at the 2015 European Games, becoming the first ever medalist for Ireland at the Games. He competed at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
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In 2017 Irvine won another bronze medal for Ireland in the European championships. The next year he won a silver medal in the Commonwealth Games.
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If Paalam qualifies for the next round his next fight will be on July 31. He is a gold medalist in 2019 SEA Games light flyweight division. He won the bronze medal in the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games.
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Cris Nievarez bowed out of the race for a medal when he placed fifth in his heat in the quarterfinals of the men’s rowing single sculls event at Sea Forest Waterway Sunday.
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Jayson Valdez also exited from the Olympic shooting competition on Sunday at the Asaka Shooting Range. He failed to make the top eight cut for the final when he finished 44th out of 47 in the men's 10m air rifle qualification round.
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France scored a huge upset in the Tokyo Olympic men's basketball tournament when they outplayed the NBA superstar-laden USA, 83-76, on Sunday at the Saitama Super Arena.
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Evan Fournier of the Boston Celtics scored 28 points while Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz added 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds as they handed the Americans a surprising loss in their first game after a complicated preparation for the Summer Games.
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France was behind by seven points, 74-67 at 3:41 in the final quarter then took a big rally 16-2 to upset the defending champions.
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Jrue Holiday led the USA with 18 points as they were defeated in the Olympics for the first time since 2004 in Athens, Greece.
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The US team, which has Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, and Draymond Green in its lineup, had difficulties in its Pre-Olympic exhibition games, losing to both Australia and Nigeria.
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This is Team USA's second straight loss to the French squad after having handed a 89-79 defeat and eliminating them in the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
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United States actually was leading 45-37 at the halftime break. France, however turned the tide in the third period, as they crushed the Americans, 25-11.
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Fournier topscored France on a 12-3 run that wiped out the nine-point US lead and tied the game at 52-52. France got the lead on a three pointer by Nando De Colo making it, 55-54.
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Japanese swimmer Daiya Seto failed to qualify for the men's 400-meter individual medley final. Seto is the reigning world champion and held the world record time before the Olympics.
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After failing to win medals on day 1, the U.S. bounced back Sunday. The first medals were awarded in swimming, with the Americans winning six, led by Chase Kalisz’s gold medal in the men’s 400-meter individual medley.
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Top Ten Olympic Medal Standings:
Country-Gold-Silver-Bronze-Total
1. China 5-1-3-9
2. Japan 5-1-0-6
3. United States 2-2-4-8
4. South Korea 2-0-3-5
5. ROC 1-2-2-5
6. Italy 1-1-2-4
7. Australia 1-1-1-3
8. Tunisia 1-1-0-2
9. Austria 1-0-0-1
9. Ecuador 1-0-0-1
9. Hungary 1-0-0-1
9. Iran 1-0-0-1
9. Kosovo 1-0-0-1
9. Thailand 1-0-0-1
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Pakistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan delegations made an awkward entry as the flag bearers of the three delegations did not wear face masks while entering the stadium during the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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