Castro to replace Payla in RP team?

Light flyweight Godfrey Castro is likely to move up in weight division to take the spot of Violito Payla as the Philippines braces for the second and last Asian Olympic Qualifier in Kazakhstan on March 16-24.

Payla, gold medalist in the Doha Asian Games, injured his left shoulder recently while in deep training in Baguio City. Although boxing chief Manny Lopez said they will still wait for the medical report on the extent of Payla’s injury, observers say there are slim chances for the Cagayan de Oro fighter to recover and get back to his old fighting form in time for the event.

Lopez yesterday said Payla has undergone a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test to determine the extent of the injury sustained by the 2006 Doha Asian Games gold medal winner.

Sports medicine expert Dr. Jose Raul Canlas handled the testing and the result pointed to a torn ligament on the left shoulder that has been giving Payla pain.

“We’re waiting for Dr. Canlas to give us the medical report and we will decide from there,” said Lopez.

Lopez said they would need to make a decision late this week whether or not to strike Payla out of the RP team roster leaving on March 10 for Astana, Kazakhstan.

Lopez said Payla’s Kazakhstan stint would depend on Canlas’ final assessment.

“We will know by Thursday or maybe Friday if he (Payla) could be part of the team leaving for Kazakhstan, it would depend on the assessment of Dr. Canlas,” Lopez said.

But Lopez said they have a deep pool of talents, headed by Castro, a bronze medalist in the 2006 Doha Games in the light flyweight division who has been tipped as Payla’s possible replacement.

Payla’s recent performances have cast doubts on the fighter’s chances for the Olympics as he suffered two knockdowns before eventually losing to American Rau’shee Warren, 11-25, in the Last 16 in the world tilt. He then absorbed a stinging RSC-Outscored win in the third round setback to Yunusov Anvar of Tajikistan in Bangkok.

So far, the country has only one Beijing Games qualifier – light fly Harry Tanamor – who made it after a silver medal performance in the World Qualifiers in Chicago last year.

Payla and four others, including fellow Asian Games gold medalist Joan Tipon, were wiped out in the first of two Asian qualifiers in Bangkok last month with the Kazakhstan elims serving as the last chance for the RP pugs in their quest for Olympic berths.