ABAP eyes 4 youth fighters for RP pool

SUBIC – With one of their area tournaments about to conclude, the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) has identified young but quality fighters who may soon be part of the national youth squad.

Philippine Team coaching staff member Elmer Pamisa saw at least four fighters currently competing in the PLDT-ABAP Luzon area boxing series here as potential youth members.

Among those spotted by Pamisa are pinweights John Mark Pajareto and Fernando Tacuyan, and the flyweight pair of Neco Magliquian and Michael Dasmariñas.

Pajareto and Tacuyan entered the finals by beating Jerson Magliquian and Dexter Dimaculangan, respectively.

Dasmariñas, meanwhile, also made it into the finals by scoring an RSC in the third round over Magliquian. The Bicolano Dasmariñas battles Romblon B’s Reymark de Capiz for the gold.

The finals of every division of this Clusivol-backed tournament were set Thursday night at the Subic Gym.

Other finalists are La Union B’s Jovani Dulce who won over La Union A’s Joseph Casil in the cotton weight division; Sorsogon’s Norman Estradura is the other cotton weight finalists after winning over Jonji Maritana; Nueva Ecija’s Ariel Tibayan meets La Union’s Jerusalem Galvez who both scored RSC wins over Sorsogon’s Jason Hilia and Zambales’ Elmon Carino in their respective mosquito weight assignments.

Olongapo’s Carlo John Espartero and La Union’s Alvin Jay Dulce face off for the paper weight gold as they both decisioned Sorsogon’s Jomaric Deliarte and Joshua Sapaden respectively; La Union’s Ricardo Dulce won on points over Olongapo’s Melchor Perez and will next face fellow pinweight Noel Pecking of Baguio, a second round RSC winner over Nueva Ecija’s Alvin Bolante.

In an all-Olongapo Featherweight finals match, Reggie Roque a 2nd round RSC winner over Zambales’ Juan Gabriel Fabay, tangles opposite Reymark Sanchez, a 3rd round RSC victor over Churchie Falcunaya.

Meantime ABAP Executive Director Ed Picson exuded enthusiasm in seeing their drive for talent discovery to be heading in the right direction especially with PLDT providing needed support.

“We are encouraged by the rapidly growing interest in amateur boxing in every part of the country,” said Picson who will next chart ABAP’s Visayas and Mindanao area tournaments in the coming months.