Tagbilaran, Mandaue in tight race for crown

ALBURQUERQUE, BOHOL - After three of its top bets crashed out of the semifinals, host Tagbilaran City found itself in tight race for the overall title with 2003 titlist Mandaue City in the 19th Visayas Inter-City Developmental Age-Group Amateur Boxing Championships billed as "Mayor Dan Neri Lim Cup.

"In the third day of lung-busting action staged in the history-rich municipality of Alburquerque, which boasts of the 200-kilogram Prony - one of the world's largest pythons - and its admirable butterfly garden, Tagbilaran City sent four simonpures into the finals, while Mandaue checked in three.

Cebu City's title retention bid somehow went astray with only two boxers left to carry on its uphill battle.

While Cebu City languished on what appears to be its worst showing ever, Talibon, Bohol had a date with history after it sneaked in two pugilists into the finals for the first time in this nine-year-old tournament.

In the presence of Tagbilaran City Mayor and tournament backer Dan Neri Lim, spunky sluggers Jameson Bacon, Jun Marlon Arisga, Joshua Odtohan and Jenno Cabugngan assured the hosts of at least four medals.

Bacon mangled Cebu's Mitzael Taborada, 5-0, in the light flyweight (48 kgs.) division, while Arisha kept his hunt for the pinweight (45 kgs.) gold with a 5-0 bashing of Bohol Province's Alberto Simbajon.

Odtohan ensured Tagbilran City of at least a silver after pulling off a razor-thin 3-2 victory over Joneses Sayson of Maasin City in the powderweight (36 kgs.) class, in the same way with Cabugngan, who clobbered Maasin City's Jayson Entia, 4-1, in their antweight (32 kgs.) battle.

It was not all jubilation through for Tagbilaran City as Francis Lee Cutanda, Noel Adelmita, and Emmanuel Lumantad were booted out of this 12-city tilt.

Mandaue City, on the other hand, saw Dario Luga, Jomarie Yuson, and Welbeth Loberanis storming into the gold medal round in this four-day boxfest organized by the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP)-7 led by its hardworking regional director Nemesio "Nemmy" Monton.

Luga kept his title hopes alive in the pinweight (45 kgs.) division by upsetting Cebu City's Jonas Minoza via a 3-2 nail-biter, while vacuumweight (39 kgs.) Yuson and powerderweight Loberanis reached the finals after posting similar 5-0 wins over Maasin's Joshua Aya-ay and Dumaguete's Dilarango Dimakiling, respectively.

Cebu City's remaining hopes for gold are paperweight Jestoni Borres and vacuumweight Apolinario Chavez, Jr. Borres, who beat their respective foes from Tagbilaran City in Emmanuel Lumantad, 3-2, and Noel Adelmita, 4-1.

Talibon's finalist are Nemuel Ramos, who scored an upset over Bacolod's Mark John Ret Migallen via stoppaged due to injury at 43 seconds of the third round in the jr flyweight (45 kgs.) class, and Jimboy Rosales, who won via walkover against Cadiz City's Johney Margaha.

Maasin had one boxer left in Michael Ramos, who beat Mandaue's Ademar Paguidopon, while Bacolod's lone hope for gold is Remas Orcado, who ousted Tagbilaran's Francis Lee Cutanda, 3-2, in the 34 kgs.