Payla, Brin, Camat book trip to Athens

PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan – Violito Payla and Romeo Brin punched their way to Athens Olympics with a pair of stirring victories over Tulash Boy Doniyorov and Reza Ghazemozanolya, respectively, in the semifinal round of the 22nd Asian Boxing Championships before a roaring crowd at the Puerto Princesa Coliseum here last night.

Later in the night, Chris Camat stopped Japanese Koji Sato in the third round via RSC (Referee- stopped -contest) due to injury and joined Payla and Brin to the Athens Games.

Camat was ahead, 22-11, when the Indian ring physician declared Sato unfit to continue after sustaining a cut on his left cheek 90 seconds into the third round.

The decision drew loud protests from the Japanese camp, claiming Sato suffered the cut from an errant elbow from Camat.

Payla and Brin fought with remarkable resolve after the sorry defeats of their compatriots Thursday with the former whipping his classy Uzbek pug, 24-12, to realize an Olympic dream and the latter using his vast experience to the hilt to bundle out the Iranian bet, 17-7, and gain a crack at the Olympic gold for the third time.

"Masayang-masaya ako dahil nakuha ko na ang gusto kong mangyari, ang makapunta sa Olympics," said Payla. "Pero hindi pa po tayo tapos dahil gusto kong ipanalo ang huli kong laban para sa ating kababayan."

A day after his countrymen, including the fancied Harry Tañamor, suffered stinging losses, Payla took it to heart to make up for those setbacks and readily outclassed Doniyorov, one of the nine Uzbeks in the semis round, firing away solid 1-2 combinations to gain a commanding 10-point cushion in the first two rounds.

Doniyorov tried to rally in the next two but the clever Filipino simply danced away to secure the win.

But for Payla, clinching an Olympic berth is one thing, beating South Korean Kim Ki Suk is another story.

Kim, who climbed to the flyweight class after beating Tañamor for the 2002 Asian Games light flyweight gold medal, barged into the finals by slamming Thailand’s Somjit Jongjohor, who bested Payla on his way to last year’s Hanoi Southeast Asian Games gold, via an 11-3 decision.

Payla, however, is unfazed, having defeated the taller Kim in the Afro-Asian Games in India last November.

Late Thursday, Camat ignored the string of setbacks by his compatriots and beat a taller Ahmed Ali of Pakistan with a thrilling 21-18 decision in their middleweight clash.

In a show of guts and sheer courage, the 24-year-old Camat unleashed the more telling blows against Ahmed in the final round of a four-round bout to pull off a king-sized win that gave the hometown crowd something to cheer on in the day.

"I know it’s going to be tough not only because I’m facing a Pakistani but the pressure of making up for the losses of my countrymen," said Camat, who decided to take a leave from his work in California as a furniture designer to pursue his Olympic dream. "I’m just happy that I’ve made through this time and I thank God, all my countrymen who supported me and the coaching staff for helping me reach this far."

The other semis match pits K. Rishulov of Kyrgyzstan and Gennadi Goldukin of Kazakhstan. Rishulov beat Falah Hassan of Iraq in the second round while Goldukin smothered Duck Jin Cho of South Korea, 34-6.

Ali, watched by compatriot Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA) chief Anwar Chowdhry, and Camat fought fiercely in the first three rounds that looked more of a wrestling match than a boxing duel.

It was only in the final 40 seconds of the bout that Camat gained a slim one-point lead, an advantage that got the Filipino pug more nervous than relaxed.

"I really didn’t know that I’m leading, and when I did, I got a little nervous," said Camat.

What did the Pakistani in was Camat’s three-hit flurry in the final 10 seconds, enough to gain the judges’ nod for a close three-point triumph.

Earlier, Junard Ladon, Tañamor, Florencio Ferrer and Francis Joven dropped their respective matches.

Among the four, Joven was the closest from advancing into the next round but his late hits proved not enough to prevent a heftier Ba Shavmof of Afghanistan from clinching a 21-20 win.

"Sayang, akala namin panalo na," said RP team coach George Caliwan in this weeklong event organized by Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes, boxing head Manny Lopez with support from San Miguel Corp., Accel, Pacific Heights and the Philippine Sports Commission.