RP pugs go thru eye of needle

BUSAN, South Korea — Ain’t so lucky was the kind of break the Philippines got Tuesday during the drawing of lots for the boxing competitions of the 14th Asian Games here.

The draw was held in one of the high-rise buildings inside the athletes’ village with the Philippine coaching staff leaving the room confident but not necessarily happy.

"Dadaan tayo sa butas ng karayom. Pero bakbakan ito," said Nolito Velasco on behalf of head coach Gregorio Caliwan who had to leave earlier to oversee the team practice.

Action in all 12 divisions begins Wednesday at the Masan Gymnasium just outside this booming port city with Harry Tanamor and Romeo Brin, two of the brightest hopes for Team Caltex, climbing the ring.

Tanamor, in fact, will see action in the opening bout as he goes up against Myanmar’s Kyaw Swar Aung in a 2 p.m. lightweight encounter which the Filipino fighter is expected to hurdle.

Brin, fighting in his last Asian Games, is also heavily favored to beat his light welterweight foe in Mongolia’s Bayanmunkh Bayanjargal. A victory will set him up for a second round bout against either a Japanese or a Pakistani foe.

"Okay lang ang opening matches nila. Mabuti na din mapalaban agad bago mapaharap sa mabibigat," said Patricio Gaspi, a former national boxer now with the coaching staff.

Bantamweight Ferdie Gamo will be the only fighter to see action Thursday against the winner between Syria’s Wahbeh Abdullah and Uzbekistan’s Khidirov Bekzon.

Maraon Goles, a newcomer fighting as a middleweight, drew a bye and will not see action until Oct. 9, needing to beat Pakistan’s Ahmed Ali Kahn to assure himself of a bronze medal.

After Gamo, up next is Fil-American Chris Camat who squares off with another Pakistani, Kashif Mumtaz, in the light middleweight class Friday. Tanamor is also scheduled to compete that day.

Violito Payla, a gifted flyweight from Cagayan de Oro, debuts on Saturday against Uzbekistan’s Doniyorov Tulashbov while Roel Laguna puts on his gear for a featherweight clash with Thailand’s Samaksaman Sutthisak on Sunday.

Anthony Igusquiza, a bronze medallist in the 1994 Hiroshima Asiad, faces the winner between Mongolia’s Munkhehuluun Tserennadmid and Syria’s Hamidi Yousef on Monday.

Team Caltex is determined to do better this time after failing to win any gold in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and last year’s Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.