SALUDAR, TIPON, LOPEZ TRIUMPH IN FIRST DAY OF ASIAN ELITE MEN'S BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 08 Aug 2011
Rey Saludar.
The National Boxing Team of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines saw three of its fighters led by Asian Games champions Rey Saludar and Joan Tipon win on opening day of the Asian Elite Men's Championship at the Dowon Sports Arena in Incheon, South Korea. However, two other boxers including the multi-titled Charly Suarez dropped close decisions on a day of mixed fortunes.
Light welterweight Rolando Tacuyan was first to see action against hometown boy Sang Hyuk Park. Tacuyan, who is the son of a boxing coach from Bacolod and a former national track star from Pampanga immediately impressed the judges, taking an early 5-3 lead in the first round and hanging on for a 10-9 edge at the end of the second.
Tacuyan's lead could have been bigger except for the fact that the referee penalized the Filipino for constant holding and awarded his Korean opponents two points.
Besides being frustrated as a result of what happend the 20 year old Tacuyan lost steam in round three enabling the Korean to coast to an 18-13 victory.
Wilfredo Lopez hammered Kyrgyztan's Maksat Alimbaev in the 69 kg Welterweight division rto win by a wide 24-11 margin. The 25 year-old Army man from Kiamba, Saranggani constantly beat his opponent to the punch. Lopez caught Alimbaev with a hard right to the midsection that saw the Kyrgyztan fighter double up in pain and take an eight-count.
2010 Asian Games flyweight gold medalist Rey Saludar also picked up an easy win as his Japanese opponent was disqualified for repeated ducking. Saludar was ahead by a lopsided 21-4 when the referee stopped the fight in the 2nd round.
Comebacking Joan Tipon, another Asian Games star who won a gold medal at the 2006 games in Qatar made short work of Mohammed Jawad of Iraq, giving his opponent a boxing lesson in their 56 kg bantamweight match, 11-4.
Another disappointing loss setback the Philippine campaign as highly-touted lightweight Charly Suarez was edged by Kazakh Aydar Amirzakov, 17-18.
An ABAP report noted that Suarez started sluggishly, seemingly bothered by the height advantage enjoyed by his opponent. He trailed 5-6 after the first round and although he looked more active in the second but was still unable to impress the judges who saw the Kazakh ahead, 13-9.
Suarez then threw everything he had in the last round and totally dominated his opponent but fell short by a single point.
Team coaches Ronald Chavez and Roel Velasco could only rue the close defeats in their first day. "Tacuyan and Suarez both could have won their fights. We just need a little more adjustment in their games to get them to their optimum state. Hopefully they peak in time for the big one in September."
Chavez, himself an Olympian, agreed: "This is a big tune-up for the World Championships in September which are also the Olympic qualifiers. We will see to it that everyone gets a good work out, even the losers. We will get them to spar with other boxers while we're here".
A surprise spectator at the fights was former PSC chairman Harry Angping. Here on a business visit, he motored from the capital city of Seoul, an hour away to give encouragement to the Filipino fighters.
The team is headed by Abap executive director Ed Picson and is backed by PLDT, Accel, the Philippine Sports Commission and Powerade.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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