Joven takes1st crack at tough Thais

DOHA — Francis Joven gets the credit, or the other way around, as the first Filipino to take on a Thai fighter as he tries to join his five other teammates in the quarterfinal round of the boxing competitions at the Aspire Hall 5 here today.

Joven, 24, drew a bye in the first round but was rewarded with a face-off with Angkhan Chomphuphuang, a relatively new member of the Thai squad who made his mark with a 22-16 victory over Joo Jung Kim of Korea in the welterweight elims Saturday.

The Thais have been the RP pugs’ nemesis in many regional and international competitions although the local fighters dominated the sport in the SEA Games in Manila last year. This Asian Games, however, is no exception.

In fact, if Godfrey Castro and Joan Tipon make good in their quarterfinal bouts on Friday, they would be both meeting two veteran Thai campaigners in Suban Pannon and Worapoj Petchkoom for a crack at the gold medal.

Castro, who was impressive in his Asian Games debut Monday, hopes to get past Saudi Ali Saad Al Ahmry in the quarters and arrange a possible semis showdown with Pannon, who had a tough opening day assignment in Korean Ro Sok, whom he beat, 30-21.

The 28-year-old Pannon, winner of the lightfly gold in the 1998 Asiad in Bangkok, fights Iraqi Ali Najah in the other quarterfinal round match in the 48k division.

However, Tipon, whose stylish fighting style resembles that of a Thai, will have to hurdle a tough North Korean in Kim Won Guk in the quarters before he could set up a likely semis clash with Petchkoom, who is also expected to get a tough time against local favorite Adel Chakeri in their own side of the duel.

Flyweight Violito Payla, if he ever puts away Indian Jitender Kumar in the quarters tomorrow, will face the winner of the Lee Ok Sung of Korea-Bo Yang of China duel. Another victory could possibly line him up against the reigning Asian Games and SEA Games champion Somjit Jongjohor for the gold in the 51k category.

Featherweight Anthony Marcial will take on Kazakhstan Galib Jafarov in the quarters and could face Mongolian Enkhzorig Zorigbaatar or Taiwan’s An Chun Chung in the semis.

Lightweight Genebert Basadre made it 5-for-5 for RP with a scary 20-19 victory over Pakistani Ali Asghar Shah late Monday with the reigning SEA Games gold medalist hoping to dish out a more solid game against Turkmenistan Serdar Hudayberdiyev in the quarters on Saturday. A victory would set him up in a semis duel against either Asylbek Talasbaev of Kyrgystan or Qing Hu of China.

By sending five fighters into the quarters with two more hoping to join in, the RP fighters have been the most consistent performers in the 229-athletic delegation although observers believe that their medal chances would hinge on how they would fare against the powerhouse Thai team.