Southern pugs impress RP team coaches

Boxers from the South caught the eye of the RP team coaches who intently watched the competition in the 2010 Smart-Abap National Amateur Boxing Championships that ended Friday at the Puerto Princesa coliseum. Davao del Norte’s Victorio Saludar and Mark Anthony Barriga, Davao City’s Engelbert Moralde, Misamis Oriental’s Albert Pagala and Bago City’s James Palicte all put themselves in a good position to make it to the RP youth squad that will vie for Youth Olympics slots in a qualifying tournament in Azerbaijan in April. The hard-hitting Saludar crushed Kevin James Gob of Tayabas City with 1:35 left in the first round to capture the youth boys’ bantamweight crown while Barriga dispatched Albert Sumugat of Palawan A, 21-5, to rule the junior boys’ pinweight class.

Moralde clobbered Jeff Rodriguez of Puerto Princesa C, 12-3, to win the junior boys’ light flyweight title while Pagala and Palicte dominated Mario Fernandez of Ablayan, Bukidnon, 18-4, and Robert Tompong of Palawan A, 15-9, to conquer the junior boys’ flyweight and bantamweight titles, respectively. “These are the boxers that we’re looking at," said RP Team head coach Pat Gaspi, who watched at the sidelines along with fellow mentors Roel Velasco, Boy Catolico and Romeo Brin. “We already had our respective evaluations and we will finalize everything as soon as we get to Manila. Then we’ll inform their mother units of their selection and, if they will be allowed, we’ll bring them to Baguio to start their training right away." Saludar, however, might be turned over to the elite pool since he will be turning 19 this year. The Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) needs five boxers in the boys and nine from the girls division to complete the squad. Also ending up with a gold were Niel John Tabanao of Davao del Norte (junior boys’ light bantamweight); Mark Vincent Fernandez of Tagbilaran City (junior boys’ featherweight); Jhon Merced of Puerto Princesa C (youth boys’ pinweight); Glen Cantaveros of Davao del Norte (youth boys’ light flyweight); Jolan Bughanoy of Davao del Norte (youth boys’ flyweight); Carlo Suelo of Palawan (youth boys’ featherweight); Jheritz Chavez of Mandaluyong City (youth boys’ lightweight); and Dennis Galvan of Bago City (youth boys’ light welterweight). In the girls’ division, emerging victorious were Lucy Bayo of Puerto Princesa C in the pinweight class, Winnie Verano of Valencia in the lightflyweight class and Rose Magbanua of Puerto Princesa A in the flyweight class. Maricris Igam of Palawan A and Catherine Jimena of Dexter Santos ruled the youth girls’ flyweight and bantamweight, respectively. - GMANews.Tv