Saludar brothers clinch gold in Tammer Cup

Victorio and Rey Saludar stamped their class against separate opponents to clinch the gold medals in their respective weight divisions in the 31st Tammer Cup at the Pyynikkin Palloiluhalli Sports Hall in Tampere, Finland. The brothers from Davao Del Norte led a 2-2- finish for the RP bets as two other Filipino boxers settled for the silver medals. The four-member Philippine team matched the performance of the Nationals four years ago. Joan Tipon and Violito Payla won the gold for the Philippines in the 2006 edition held in Doha, Qatar.

Victorio Saludar outclassed England’s Charlie Edwards, 7-3, en route to earning the Best Fighter tag in the tournament, while the older Saludar, 21, scored a 6-0 win over Portugal's Pedro Matos. The Filipinos' bid to complete a sweep fell short after top bet Charly Suarez and Delfin Boholts were beaten by their respective foes. Hometown hero Matti Koota prevented a third gold for the Philippines when he masterfully countered Suarez' attacks for a 6-0 win while the Gingoog City native Boholts also lost his match against Ireland’s Ross Hickey, 2-1. Suarez appeared anxious from the onset and missed a lot of shots while going after the slick Finnish, who displayed deft counter-punching and suave moves, frustrating the Filipino in the entire match. The Philippines' two-gold, two-silver performance turned out to be the best among the participating countries after four RP bets entered the finals. Host Finland and France came in second with three finalists each. "I thought the match was closer and Koota was given a standing eight-count in the last round so I seriously doubt that Charly did not deserve a single point," said Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) executive director Ed Picson. "Then again, the hometown boy fought smartly and I think he deserved the win. The crowd also did its job." Boholts broke down on hearing the close score, prompting Picson to talk to him and Suarez, urging both fighters to "pick up something from the loss." Competing in the Tammer Cup is the last leg of the "Road to Asian Games" blueprint designed by ABAP president Ricky Vargas, and was given all-out support by multi-industry mogul and ABAP chairman Manny V. Pangilinan. – JVP/KY, GMANews.TV