Brin, a veteran of the Atlanta Olympics who was one of the two gold medalists in the Brunei Games, scored a 12-2 rout of Myanmar’s Myo Thet Aung, while Payla, a young fighter who has shown great potential with medal performances in two tournaments in Cuba early this year, fashioned out a 15-8 thrashing of Indonesia’s Melky Lelemboto.
With those decisive victories, Brin and Payla advanced to the semis, joining teammates featherweight Ramil Zambales, lightweight Larry Semillano and middleweight Maximo Tabangcora.
However, one more RP pug bowed out as light heavyweight Maron Goles fell prey to another Thai demolition man in Pornchai Thongburan, winner of the middlweight gold medal in Brunei.
Nevertheless, the members of the Team Caltex Philippines returned to their quarters with heads held high as they savored the victories of Brin and Payla.
But like Semillano and Tabangcora, Brin and Payla found themselves ranged against the fancied Thais in their next fight.
Brin seeks a shot at the final against Pongsak Brianthuanthong, a 20-9 winner over Indonesia’s Welem Pailaya, while Payla clashes with Somjit Jongjobor, the light flyweight gold medallist in Brunei who outclassed Myanmar’s Kyaw Kyaw Lat, 11-2.
Olympic veterans Arlan Lerio and Reynaldo Galido will be the next RP fighters to climb the ring in the quarterfinals today.
Lerio, now fighting as a bantamweight, slugs it out with Indonesia’s Dufri Masihor while Galido, campaigning as a welterweight, battles Myanmar’s Aung Kyaw Kyaw. – Nelson Beltran