Team Cebu City pugs enter the medal round

CEBU, Philippines - Defending champion Eulmark Dignos of Team Cebu City and host Mandaue City’s Dannlou Codilla gave their teams a big boost after advancing in the 2010 PLDT-ABAP Visayas Area Amateur Boxing Championships at the Mandaue City Plaza Square.

Dignos joins two of his teammates in the semifinal round after beating Maguikay’s Christian Bacolod via a convincing 14-8 decision in the youth division.

Other semifinalists from team A of TCC are Jack Tepora in the 50 kilograms class and Ramjess Colina (57 kgs).

Rommel Acruz is already in the finals of the 54 kilograms category.

Dignos’s three other teammates who won their respective matches the other night are now into quarterfinals while one of team B’s bet is now out of contention.

Jahil Ala posted a 5-1 win in the 46 kgs category of the Junior division over Boracay’s Raymond Salmingo.

In the Youth division 49 kgs class, Jordan Catubay silenced Cabancalan’s Regie Muñez, 5-0 while Raymund Empec outclassed Iloilo’s Romulo Consumo Jr. 23 seconds in the first round of the 56 kgs division.

It was however a different story for team B of TCC, which had mark Kevin Soreño silencing Matalum’s Michael Kaibigan in the 49 kgs class but Junnie Saloga-ol bowed to Samar’s Jason Concepcion, 0-5.

Mandaue’s Danlou Codilla also secured another semifinal seat in the youth division’s 46 kgs class at the expense of Cabancalan’s Ferdie San Roque.

Codilla outclassed San Roque in 2 minutes and 30 seconds of the second round.

Charlie Traya of the host team was first into the finals in the 60 kgs class and the team has seven other players in the quarterfinals.

Kevin Jake Cataraja (junior 46 kgs) and Reoxyl Tabogon (youth 49 kgs) have advanced to the quarterfinals.

Cataraja scored a commanding 15-2 triumph over Cabancalan’s Raymond Namucatcat while Tabogon was too much for Iloilo’s Lowel Moscardon and the referee stopped the contest in just 49 seconds of the initial round.

So far, Maguikay is already out of contention after all its boxers lost their battle while Cabancalan has three boxers still standing.

Bago already has one finalist, three semifinalists and a quarterfinal bet still remaining.

Ormoc has one player in the final and one still remaining in the quarterfinals.

 Samar has one sure bronze and Maasin has at least two sure bronzes. (THE FREEMAN)