SALUDAR EDGES LALLY TO WIN FIRST BOUT AT WORLD BOXING CHAMPIONSHIPS
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 28 Sep 2011
Rey Saludar.
Asian Games flyweight gold medalist Rey Saludar has edged Canada?s Kelly Lally 21-20 to win his opening bout in the 2011 World Boxing Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Saludar took the opening round comfortably by a 9-6 margin but the Canadian fought back in round two where the score was tied at 6-6 protecting Saludar?s three point lead entering the third and final round.
Lally fought desperately to try and salvage the win but fell just short, winning the round by a two point margin 8-6 for a final 21-20 count in favor of the Filipino.
In the Guangzhou Asian Games last year, Saludar won the gold medal beating China?s Chang Yong in the finals 13-11.
However, in the last Asian Confederation Boxing Championships Saludar lost in the semi finals to tough Ilyas Suleimenov of Kazakhstan 30-17.
The Philippines opened its bid in the qualifying tournament for the 2012 London Olympics with a spectacular performance by the smallest man on the team, light flyweight Mark Anthony Barriga who beat fancied Stefan Casalrov of Romania 12-5.
Barriga caught Caslarov with rapid and accurate combinations to win handily, much to the delight of the Philippine delegation headed by Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines executive director Ed Picson.
Just like Saludar, Barriga started off impressively to take the opening round 6-2 but while Saludar appeared to struggle against Lally in the succeeding two rounds Barriga poured it on to lead 9-3 at the end of the second round before wrapping up his first win by an emphatic 12-5 scoreline.
Caslarov who was ousted in the second round of the AIBA World Youth Championships also competed in the 2010 International Youth Tournament in Ukraine but lost to eventual hold medal winner Salman Alizada of Azerbaijan.
In its report on the fights, AIBA's official website said "Philippines' new boxing sensation, Sydney Jackson Memorial Tournament winner, 18-year-old Mark Anthony Barriga eliminated Romania's youth boxer Stefan Caslarov by 12:5 and will face Ireland's great prospect, European Champion and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Patrick Barnes" in the next round.
Meantime, twice AIBA world champion and 2010 Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming who also fights in the light flyweight division scored an impressive victory over PanAmerican Games qualification tournament winner Juan Gabriel Medina of the Dominican Republic 17-9.
Unbeaten since 2007 the Chinese superstar faces Hungary's European Championship bronze medalist Istvan Ungvari in his next bout.
2006 Doha Asian Games gold medalist Joan Tipon is the next member of the Philippine squad to enter the ring when he takes on Argentina?s talented Alberto Melian in a bantamweight showdown.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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