Albania, Suarez lead eight-gold finish

Size didn’t matter for Annie Albania and Charly Suarez yesterday as they brought down their taller, heftier opponents from Thailand and gave the Philippines the overall crown in the MVP International Boxing Friendship Cup.

After four days of action, the Filipino boxers smiled on their way out of the PICC Forum with eight gold, five silver and six bronze medals around their necks. The Thais will go home with four gold, six silver and three bronze medals.

The Filipinos and the Thais disputed the gold medal in seven of the 12 divisions, and the hosts took the upperhand, 4-3, when welterweight Delfin Boholst came from behind to beat Apichet Saensit, the last Thai standing, by a similar margin, 4-3.

A drum-beating Filipino crowd celebrated each win for the locals who also earned $1,000 for each gold, and a chance to train in Los Angeles and San Francisco next as part of their preparations for the 2010 Asian Games and the 2012 Olympics.

Albania took the flyweight gold by beating fellow two-time SEA Games gold medalist Peamwilai Laopeam of Thailand, 5-2. She gave up a couple of inches in height but made up for it with her quickness in landing the clearer punches in the eight-minute contest.

Laopeam won her SEA Games gold medal as a featherweight, and had to slide down two divisions lower for this event. In the days of the competition, she only took off her sweat suit each time she climbed the ring, obviously trying to keep her weight in check.

“I felt that she was weakened by the fact that she’s now down to 51 kg from 57 kg,” said Albania. She was up, 4-2, entering the final round, but still opted to slug it out with her taller opponent when she could have danced to victory.

“It was my last fight of the tournament and I didn’t waste the chance to fight it out. I also wanted to give the crowd what they want,” said Albania, now getting ready for the World Amateur Championships in Barbados in September, and the Asian Games in Guangzhou in November.

Suarez, also the country’s brightest hope in the featherweight class, was a 7-1 winner over Thailand’s Worapoj Petchikoom. On paper, the Thai should’ve been a cinch for the victory, being a silver medalist in the 2004 Athens Olympics, against Suarez, a gold medalist in the 2009 SEA Games.

“We just didn’t care about his credentials. All I did was to follow my coach’s instructions which was to counter,” said Suarez, referring to his coach, Roel Velasco, a bronze medalist in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and elder brother of Mansueto Velasco, a silver medalist in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Other gold medal winners for the Philippines were pinweight Josie Gabuco who outclased Taipei’s Tu Fen Weng, 4-1; lightfly Alice Kate Aparri who stopped China’s Shiqi Xu, 2-0; bantam Annalisa Cruz who defeated Naome Tacda in an all-Pinay final, 7-1; featherweight Nesty Petecio who ran away with a 24-4 victory over Taipei’s Weng Lin Cheng.

Aside from Suarez and Boholst, winning a gold in the men’s division was Joegin Ladon who escaped with a 4-2 win over Thai lightweight Apichat Kulsri.

Losing out in the finals were lightfly Victorio Saludar against China’s Zhongling Wu; flyweight Gerson Nietes against Thailand’s Amnaj Ruenroeng; bantam Glicerio Catolico III against another Thai, Donchai Thatl; and lightwelter Jimmy Vallarez against Thai Oatcharija Haeswuno. Settling for the bronze were Bill Vicera, Rey Saludar, Recky Dulay, Jameboy Vicera, Rolando Tacuyan and Wilfredo Lopez.