Three RP pugs reach semis

WARSAW, Poland – Not quite.

Team Caltex Philippines nearly swept its six quarterfinal matches Thursday, save for three reversals that appeared to have robbed the Filipinos of a chance for a bigger medal haul in the Feliks Stamm International Boxing Championships at the Sports Hall here.

The Filipinos reveled in sure bronze medal victories of Violito Payla, Roel Laguna and Vincent Palicte, all of them convincing, but grieved over the losses of Florencio Ferrer, Harry Tañamor and Romeo Brin, all of which in verdicts that failed to convince even the coaches of the other competing teams.

After a shaky start, Payla fought to his full potential and fashioned out a 24-13 victory over Michail Ninowskij of Ukraine to arrange a semis clash with Canadian Sebastian Gouthier in the flyweight division.

Unfancied in his elimination round victory Wednesday, Palicte showed his true form as he quickly dispatched Azerbaijan’s Yusof Amanakhov with an RSC-O (outclassed) win in 1:17 of the third round of their bantamweight clash.

Laguna, the 20-year-old featherweight from Bohol, actually touched off Team Caltex Philippines’ quarterfinal campaign with a 15-11 victory over Ovidiu Bobireat of Cyprus, which Ferrer would have matched if not for a highly-controversial two-point deduction in the third.

Rallying with solid shots to the head that staggered Polys Polydorov, also of Cyprus, Ferrer saw victory slip away when he was slapped a two-point deduction for head butting.

"How can you be penalized kung hindi pa nabibigyan ng warning iyong tao," said Philippine head coach Gregorio Caliwan. Ferrer, who also controlled the fourth round, lost, 11-12.

Tañamor and Brin, two of the country’s best bets here, would also fall not to their rivals’ punches but to a scheme that often mars invitational tournaments such as this.

Ranged against a smaller foe, Tañamor clearly dominated Sergei Zmailik of Belarus in their lightfly match, connecting with body punches and hard blows while parrying his game rival’s counterattacks splendidly. But much to his surprise, he lost, 11-16.

Brin, at 28 the most veteran in the Caltex-sponsored team, had the crowd roaring with this superb punching, timing and footwork that completely battered Ukraine’s Jurij Zolotov in the first up to the latter part of their light welterweight showdown. But to everybody’s horror, the southpaw from Taytay absorbed an 8-16 setback.

"You guys were set up," said an Irish coach, whose wards would have been matched with Tañamor and Brin in the semifinals.