Tanamor joins medal race

BUSAN – If not for Harry Tanamor’s quarterfinal victory in boxing, Tuesday would have been a lonely, forgettable day for the Philippines in the 14th Asian Games here.

The Philippines never had a Chinaman’s chance in basketball, was left hoping for the best in masters bowling and, in athletics, was literally behind even before the 800-m race started.

The Philippines also did not finish a race in cycling, continued to fire blanks in shooting and had athletes losing to a Pakistani in boxing and in women’s table tennis.

Therefore, Tanamor’s lopsided 21-11 victory over India’s Ali Qamar was the only bright note for the day as the Filipino boxer assured himself of a bronze in the lightfly division.

It was a smooth, well-planned victory for the Armyman nicknamed Inday against an Indian who won the 48 kg. gold in last month’s Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

But the road to the gold remains treacherous for Tanamor who is lined up against Suban Pannon, the Thai winner of the gold in the 1998 Bangkok Asiad, in Saturday’s semis.

If ever Tanamor scrapes past the reigning Thai champion, up next is an opponent that would be even harder to beat in the finals – South Korea’s Kim Ki Suk.

"Pero tiwala ako kay Harry," said RP amateur boxing president Manny Lopez after he lost a fifth fighter in lightwelterweight Romeo Brin.

The 28-year-old Sydney Olympics veteran, making his farewell appearance in the Asian Games, bowed out, clearly losing, 31-15, to Pakistan’s Ashgar Ali Shah.

Brin’s loss left Tanamor and only two others – lightweight Anthony Igusquiza and middleweight Maraon Goles – with the chance of keeping the Philippines in the Asian boxing map.

Igusquiza and Goles will climb the ring at the Masan Stadium Tuesday, eyeing the bronze. Igusquiza faces Mahmodov Dishov of Uzbekistan while Goles meets Ahmed Ali Khan of Pakistan.

Over at the Sajik Gymnasium, the RP basketball team got its first taste of defeat on another cold, windy day, losing to undisputed heavyweight champion China, 51-92.

Not even the presence of a wildly-cheering, flag-waving, fervently-praying Filipino crowd could get the RP cagers over the Great Wall as they terribly missed from the floor.

The game, of course, was close only at the start and until the Chinese players, in a league of their own, piled up the points, 56-29, then 67-31, and to what it was in the end.

The Filipinos couldn’t buy a basket from the three-point area, going 0-of-14, and more, before Mick Pennisi broke the spell with his triple that made it 43-75.

At the Homeplus Bowling Alley, the RP bets in the men’s and women’s masters took a rest after the first eight of the 16 blocks to be completed Wednesday.

Liza Clutario was running third (1773) and Liza del Rosario 15th (1577) in the women’s competition while Biboy Rivera was running fifth (1824) and Chester King ninth (1766) in the men’s side.

In the centerpiece event of athletics, John Lozada almost missed the chance to compete in the 800-m run after irresponsible RP track officials failed to reconfirm his participation 24 hours before the race.

As a result, Lozada’s name was scratched from the starting list and a Cambodian runner, Pich Kong, took his place on lane No. 8. A late appeal by the RP camp sent Lozada back into the race – only that he had to occupy the same lane and start the race behind the Cambodian.

Probably in humiliation, Lozada ran the first 400 meters like a headless chicken in only 53 seconds. He lost steam, in the process, and finished the race 12th in a field of 13 at 1:51.09.0362 – ahead of the Cambodian.

Ernie Candelario qualified for the finals of the 400-m run three days after celebrating his 25th birthday.

In cycling, Paterno Curtan Jr. and Victor Espiritu were listed as DNF (did not finish) in the official results of the 1/2 madison final while Nathaniel "Tac" Padilla stayed in 38th place (548) in the 25-m standard pistol. Crisanta Abas, meanwhile, lost to Pakistan’s Ghazala Ro Hi, 4-1, in women’s singles in table tennis.