Tipon clinches gold; two other RP pugs fall

Bantamweight Joan Tipon outpunched Canadian Isho Shiba, 21-7, to win the country’s lone gold medal in the Tammer Cup International Boxing Championships recently in Tampere, Finland.

Tipon frustrated the taller Shiba with a hit-and-run tactic as he made up for the losses of teammates Violito Payla and Genebert Basadre in their respective finals.

Lightflyweight Payla succumbed to the rapid-punching Pal Bedak of Hungary, 30-16, while Basadre faded in the homestretch to lose by countback to Frenchman Jean Gomis in the lightweight final.

Basadre was ahead by six points in the fourth and final round but was unable to keep pace with the attacking Gomis, who forced an 18-18 tie before winning the gold in the countback.

Tipon, Payla and Basadre are competing in the Doha Asian Games in December.

Team Philippines finished fourth overall with 1-2-2 gold-silver-bronze tally. France won the overall title with five golds, while Australia and Hungary shared second and third spots with two golds each.

Lightwelterweight Delfin Boholst and welterweight Francis Joven claimed the bronze medals after losing their semifinal bouts. Only featherweight Anthony Marcial was unable to win a medal for Team Philippines which is supported by the International Olympic Solidarity Movement, Philippine Sports Commission and Pacific Heights.

"Tipon showed his ring savvy against the Canadian, while the loss of Basadre was unfortunate. Overall, I believe that the Tammer Cup stint speaks well of our preparations for the Asiad," said national head coach Pat Gaspi in an overseas call to ABAP president Manny Lopez.