PANABO CITY, Philippines – Mark Anthony Barriga capped an explosive campaign after emerging the most prolific fighter of the 2009 Smart-ABAP Mindanao Amateur Boxing Tournament at the Panabo Multi-Purpose Tourism Cultural Sports Center here.
Unbeaten in the last four National Open, the 16-year-old Barriga demolished Julius Silva of Davao City, 27-12, to bag the pinweight gold in the juniors division and advance to the national championships tentatively calendared at the end of the year.
Barriga, who started competing for the Davao del Norte stable of former Panabo solon Tonyboy Floirendo and representative Anton Lagdameo Jr. at the age of nine, was never threatened, punching his way to victory after connecting several clear blows to Silva’s head and body.
Barriga’s exploits, along with the victories of junior light bantamweight Rejie Tabanao and pinweight Victorio Saludar III in the youth division, helped propel the host province to the overall title of the tourney, which serves as the regional qualifying for the ABAP national championships.
Tabanao, 16, won via walkover after Misamis Oriental’s Warren Christopher Raterta was deemed unfit to fight for medical reasons while Saludar, adjudged best boxer in the youth division, sent MisOr’s Jeffrey Gallero to retirement in the second round of their gold-medal bout.
Other boxers who contributed to Davao del Norte’s success were light fly Glen Canteveros, flyweight Jolan Bunghanoy, bantam Alfredo Deano and featherweight Jay-Ar Inson in the youth division (17-18 years old).
Awarding the trophies and medals in the tournament backed by PLDT-Smart top honcho and ABAP chair Manny V. Pangilinan were ABAP executive director Ed Picson, former Philippine Sports Commission chair Butch Ramirez and Lagdameo.
Davao City’s Engelbert Moralde captured the best boxer award in the junior division while Robert Paradero of Malaybalay, Bukidnon and Iligan City’s Arnel Dayday came out as the top boxers in the kids and school boys division.
Misamis Oriental compiled 42 points to clinch second overall while Calinan, Davao City’s 16 points was good for third place in the tournament where 200 young boxers participated in the kids (11-12), school boys (13-14), junior (15-16) and youth divisions from 21 teams throughout Mindanao.
Other gold medalists in the juniors were featherweight Arnel Capullano of North Cotabato, General Santos City’s Roldan Boncales (light fly) and Eduardo Edurot (bantam) while North Cotabato’s Ramshane Sarquilla (jr. lightpin) and Romeo Garde (jr. pin) shone in the school boys division.