RP pugs face tough Europeans

HELSINKI, Finland– Already assured of at least two bronze medals, Caltex Team Philippines takes on the European opposition on four fronts as the 21st Gunnar Barlund International Boxing Championships gets going Friday at the Helsinki Sports Hall here.

Chowdry Cup lightflyweight gold medalist Harry Tanamor, competing for the first time in the flyweight class, sets the Philippine campaign in motion when he faces Spain’s Cristobal Salgado in the quarterfinal round of the 12-nation tournament.

Compatriot Violito Payla, also a gold medalist in the Chowdry Cup last month in Azerbaijan, drew a bye into the semifinals, setting up a possible all-Filipino title showdown in this international event where the Philippines is the only Asian country competing.

The organizers departed from the one entry-per-country practice for every event to accommodate the Philippine team’s request to allow Tanamor to fight in a higher division after they cancelled the lightflyweight event.

Roel Laguna trades blows with Hungarian Gyorgy Farkas in the quarterfinals of the featherweight class.

Romeo Brin, competing in the lightwelterweight division, faces another Hungarian, Robert Maczic.

Vincent Palicte completes the Filipinos’ quarterfinal schedule when he fights At-Hit Thiangtong, a Finn of Thai descent, at 6 p.m.

All the quarterfinal bouts will be played Friday, while the semifinals will be staged Saturday. The finals are scheduled Sunday.

"The field is strong, but our boys are ready," said boxing chief Manny Lopez. "We cannot underestimate the Hungarians - they’re strong – walang mahina sa mga lumalaro dito."

The Filipinos, whose participation here is sponsored by Caltex Philippines and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Pacific Heights and Revicon, were assured of at least a second bronze with Anthony Igusquiza’s bye into the semis of the four-man lightweight division.

Igusquiza, gold medalist in the Box-Am competition in Spain last year, will have his hands full against fancied Russian Aleksander Maletin, silver medalist in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.