Four Bago City pugs storm ABAP finals

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines – Bago City is set to reclaim its old glory in boxing as four of their five boxers won semifinal bouts Saturday in the 2012 PLDT-ABAP Visayas Area Championships at Robinson’s Mall.

Former national pool member James Palicte outclassed Mandaue City’s Eleno Traya with an RSC win in the third round in the youth lightweight class to lead Bago City boxers who made it to the finals.

“Noong 1999 pa huling nanalo ng national championships ang Bago City at nahinto ito at humina ang boxing program dahil nawalan ng suporta sa local government. Pero ngayon ay unti-unti nang bumabangon kaya ganito ang ipinakita ng mga bata,” said delegation coach Reynaldo Balboa.

Youth pinweight Raymart Flores along with junior light flyweight Ramonito Ladon Jr. and light bantamweight Jesmar Martir were the other boxers who won in their respective fights and will go for the gold medals in Sunday’s finals.

“Mahirap magsalita. Sa ngayon ay marami kaming boksingero sa finals pero hindi ito garantiya na sigurado na sila. Kailangan pa ring pagtrabahuan,” added Balboa.

Tagbilaran City, which will play host to the National Finals slated March 4-7, also made their mark as all three boxers sent to compete in the four-day tournament organized by the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines with PLDT at its main sponsor and the City and Provincial Government chipping in, succeeded in barging into the championship bouts.

Jessel Mark Araula, a national champion since 2007, moved to within a win of claiming his first youth bantamweight crown as he scored on repeated head blows to Jeffrey Bagacay of Bago City for an RSC win with 2:22 left in the second round.

Cantrel Cherwellan outpunched Cebu City’s Steven Noblefrance for a hard-earned 8-7 win in the youth bantamweight while Kenneth Centallan proved far superior to Ronald Bryan Remedio of Mandaue City for an 8-3 victory in the junior light flyweight class.

“Hindi namin expected si Cantrel na manalo dahil bagito siya. Masayang-masaya kami dahil tatlo lang ang ipinadala namin at lahat ay nasa finals. Sana ay may manalo para maganda ang momentum dahil sa Tagbilaran gagawin ang National Finals,” said coach Alex Consigna.

Defending champion Mandaue City who sent six boxers in the semis had only three of them – Kevin Jake Cataraja, Rolan Servania and Mardie Nuana – winning, a performance that might set back their drive for back-to-back crowns.

Former champion Cebu City kissed their bid to regain the meet’s title goodbye as junior pinweight Junrel Jimenez was the only boxer who won with Rodex Piala joining Noblefranca for the bronze medals in the youth light flyweight division.

Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Northern Samar each saw one of their boxers winning to keep their drive for a possible gold medal alive in the tournament being supervised by ABAP executive director Ed Picson, ASBC Women’s Commission member Ma. Karina Picson and national coaches Elias Recaido and Romeo Brin.