TEAM DAPUDONG ARRIVES IN 'VERY COLD' SOUTH AFRICA
By Manny Piñol
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 13 Jul 2014
After a long 23-hour trip which started in Davao City Saturday afternoon, IBO World Super flyweight Champion Edrin "The Sting" Dapudong and the three other members of his delegation arrived in very cold Johannesburg, South Africa at 6 a.m. today, Sunday, July 13.
As the team got out of the Tambo Airport in Johannesburg to proceed to a small bed and breakfast inn near the airport where they will rest for two days before proceeding to East London, Dapudong immediately felt the biting cold which even at 11 a.m. today was at 63 degrees Fahrenheit or 17 degrees Celsius.
The mercury is expected to further dip later this afternoon prompting chief trainer Raides "Nonoy" Neri to hold Dapudong's light workout at about 2 p.m. today.
Dapudong poses upon arrival at the Tembo Airport in South Africa.
While Dapudong rested shortly after arriving at the Airport Bed and Breakfast Inn just beside the Tambo Airport, the other members of the team, including assistant trainer Rex Penalosa and this writer, proceeded to a mall nearby to buy an additional room heater and other things that the champion needed in preparation for the fight.
Dapudong said he was hardly affected by the long trip, having gone through two previous trips which passed through Dubai which was about 6 hours longer than the Davao-Singapore-Johannesburg route.
He was also buoyed by encouraging words from fellow Filipinos who recognized him during the trip, including a townmate from M'lang, North Cotabato, Noel Limas Cuerpo, who traveled with the Dapudong team from Davao City to Singapore en route to his home base now in Australia.
After the long trip and a half day rest, Dapudong tipped the scale at 121 lbs., which is 6 pounds over the weight limit with six days before the world title defense against South Africa's Lwandile Sityatha.
"Weight is not a concern," said trainer Nonoy Neri, who is also the assistant trainer for Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.
On Wednesday, the team is expected to fly down to East London which is about one and a half hours by plane from Johannesburg for the pre-medical and a media conference.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Manny Piñol.
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