Lady pugs win bronze in world tiff

Light-flyweight Alice Kate Aparri and lightweight Mitchel Martinez settled for the bronze medals as they lost their respective semifinal bouts in the Fourth World Women Boxing Championships at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, India.

Martinez tried but failed to pin down the foxy Argentinian Anabelle Farias, 13-18, to equal her showing in the 2005 World Championships in Russia.

Aparri also won a bronze in her first attempt at the prestigious event after bowing to another Argentinian Yessica Bopp, 9-16.

Host India emerged as overall champion after garnering 34 points anchored on four golds, one silver and three bronzes, followed by Russia with 28 points (3-0-2 gold-silver-bronze).

Korean Yum Kum Ju was declared best boxer.

"The Argentinians proved too slippery for our boxers. Alice and Mitchel stepped up the attack in the later rounds, but the Argentinians managed to dance away from trouble," said head coach Glicerio Catolico in an overseas call to Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines president Manny Lopez.

The bronze-medal showings delighted Lopez, who stressed that Filipina boxers gave their best.

"Despite losing in the semis, Aparri and Martinez carried the flag proudly. I’m proud of them," said Lopez.

The week-long Philippine campaign was supported by Pacific Heights, sportsman-businessman Anson Tin Co of Shape-UP Boxing Gym and the Philippine Sports Commission.

Aparri and Martinez both won the gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games last year.