BAGO BOXERS TOP VISAYAS QUARTER FINALS IN PSC-PACQUIAO CUP

TOP QUALIFIER. The Bago City boxing team under coach Larry Semillano with their fellow Bago native Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco, (4th from left, front) a silver medalist in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. (Photo by LITO DELOS REYES)

By LITO DELOS REYES

CITY OF NAGA, Cebu (Feb. 25) – Bago City, dubbed as the “Boxing Capital of the Philippines” added three more wins to emerge as the top team in the Visayas Quarter Finals of the on-going PSC-Pacquiao Amateur Boxing Cup today at the Enan Chiong Activity Center here.
The Bago boxers mentored by 2000 Sydney Olympian Larry Semillano made a clean sweep of their seven bouts in the two-day event sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission in coordination with the Office of Sen. Manny Pacquiao.
Carlo Guevarra and Nel Tambanillo both scored referee-stopped-contest wins while Jasper John Anda had easy job with a walk-over win against Calbayog’s Marvin Lucenesio in the Youth Boys bantamweight (56 kg) division.
Guevarra also stopped Calbayog’s Minvil Valad-on in 1:10 of the opening round in the Youth Boys light flyweight (46-49 kg.) category.
Tambanillo, on the other hand, landed solid combinations in the second round to force Bayawan’s Renz Lee Teves to quit at the start of Round 3 in flyweight (52 kg.) category.
“Medyo tsamba lang po at nanalo lahat. Pero talagang pinaghandaan namin ito,” said Semillano, a gold medalist in the 1997 Jakarta Southeast Asian Games.
Four other Bago boxers won earlier in Day 1last Saturday.
Pinweight Rodel Gamo (44-46 kg), light flyweight Samuel Manale (48 kg.) , flyweight Joshua Belicena (50 kg.) and light bantamweight Flint Jara (52 kg.) scored contrasting wins in the Junior Boys division to also advance to the Visayas Semi-finals set on March 17 in Calbayog City.
“Balik eskuwela muna ang mga bata for two weeks pero tuloy pa rin ang practice tuwing hapon,” said Semillano.
Omega team of Mandaue City added two more wins to finish second with a total of five qualifiers to the semi-finals. Flyweight April Jay Abne bombarded Cadiz’s Mark Alob with solid combinations en route to a RSC in 2:16 of Round 2.
Bantamweight Jhorne Pasculado, likewise, pummeled to submission Maasin’s Andy Poblete in 1:43 of Round 3.
After two walk-over wins in Day 1, Victorias City got two hard-earned victories in the Youth Boys division from flyweight Genel Alit and bantamweight Herlan Gomez.
Alit stopped Murcia’s Joven Caguan by RSC in 1:56 of Round 1 while Gomez downed La Carlota’s Terso Ello via RSC in 2:43 of first round.
Murcia, however, finished with three wins followed both by Cebu and Escalante with two.
The other results in Day 2 all in the Youth Boys Division:
LIGHT FLYWEIGHT (46-49 KG.)
Michael Adolfo (Cadiz) def. Jaylord Redondo (DSB) by RSC in Round 3
Edmund Oro (Escalante) def. Jimmybe Cais (CCSI) by split decision, 3-2
FLYWEIGHT (52 KG.)
Johnro Taneo (CCSI) def. Gilbert Cainap (Cebu) by walk-over
BANTAMWEIGHT (56 KG.)
Mike Angelo dela Torre (Murcia) def. Gerald Postrano (Sipalay) by RSC in rest period of Round 2
LIGHTWEIGHT (60 KG.)
Romer Pinili (Bayawan) def. Randy Tanodra (SBC) by unanimous decision