Bornea exacts sweet revenge, floors Uzbek rival thrice to advance

SUBIC, Philippines – Jade Bornea got back at World Juniors tormentor Murodjon Akhmadaliev of Uzbekistan to advance to the quarterfinal round of the Asian Youth Boxing Championships at the Subic gym here yesterday.

Bornea, who lost to Akhmadaliev in the semis in cold Armenia three months ago, scored three knockdowns en route to victory in their light flyweight clash.

“I finally got even (with him),” said Bornea, who was ahead after two rounds in the World Juniors but lost steam in the end.

Still their rematch could have gone either way.

With the Uzbek hitting the canvas on two occasions in the first round and Bornea going down twice in the second, the Filipino needed a closing flurry to avert another heartbreaking setback, connecting on a hard right straight that sent Akhmadaliev down for a referee-stopped-contest (RSC) decision in the 2:17 mark in the third.

“Bornea is one of our candidates for a medal finish in this tournament, so it was doubly pleasant for him to win against Akhmadaliev,” said ABAP executive director Ed Picson. “Jade told me after he lost to the Uzbek that he felt he could beat him if only he had not contracted a bad case of cold and cough that day.”

After taking successive eight-counts in the second, Bornea, who briefly abandoned his defensive stance to the shock of national coach and three-time Olympian Romeo Brin, came through in the third.

“He’s really strong with his right,” said Brin. “It’s a good thing that he stepped up his defense in the third.”

Elmer Pamisa, a member of the PLDT-ABAP national team coaching staff, said Bornea knew defeat was not an option in the fight.

Bornea will next face Kyrgyzstan’s Rakhmankul Avatov, who won, 11-7, over Bangladesh’s Ariful Islam earlier for a spot in the semifinals.

Meanwhile, reigning world youth champion Eumir Felix Marcial slugs it out with a hard-punching Wang Qingqui of China today, looking for a victory and a berth in the semifinal round.

Marcial stopped Turkmenistan’s Shamurat Cherkezov Tuesday via a Referee-Stopped-Contest (RSC) at the 2:02 mark in the second round. Marcial and the rest of Team Phl, including coaches Romeo Brin and Elmer Pamisa, then awaited the result of the next fight, the winner of which the long-limbed Filipino fighter will encounter next.

They didn’t wait long.

Dominant from the onset, Wang outclassed Chinese-Taipei’s Wei tse Hsiao, 20-9, to set up the slam-bang quarters showdown with the fancied world youth champ.

“We’re backing Eumir all the way,” said ABAP president Ricky Vargas who attended the opening ceremony of the 10-division tournament backed by the MVP Sports Foundation, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, PLDT, Smart, NLEX, Maynilad, Clarktel, Subictel, Department of Tourism, Tourism Promotions Board, Videogear Inc., Exile Lights and Sound, Philippine Olympic Committee, and the Philippine Sports Commission, and supported by Sony Philippines, Coca-Cola Bottlers, and Nestle Philippines. 

Scheduled for second round matches late Tuesday were four other members of the PLDT-ABAP national team.

World Junior bronze medalist Jade Bornea gets to avenge his loss nemesis and silver medal winner Murodjon Akhmadaliev of Uzbekistan in the 49kg light flyweight division; Ian Clark Bautista tangles with China’s Lin Wei Lu in the 52kg flyweight class; Jonas Bacho debuts against Sri Lanka’s Ruchira Gunasena in the 56kg bantamweight category; and James Palicte meets Kazakhstan’s Askhat Nametkerim in the 60kg lightweight division.

Bautista edged India’s Kavinder Bisht via countback Monday, leveling the score, 10-all, on a left cross late in the match, while Palicte scrambled past Japan’s Yuuta Akiyama, 11-9. 

Lin, meantime, outpointed Indonesia’s Aldoms Suguro, 8-4, while Nametkerim won via countback over Syria’s Ahmad Ghossoun, 34-31, after they remained tied, 15-all, at the end of three rounds.

Ghossoun, one of three Syrian boxers competing, fell on his knees and wept after the referee raised Nametkerim’s hand.

The Philippines, India and Kazahstan each has three fighters making it past the first round of the tournament for boxers 17 and 18 years of age. Japan, Mongolia, China, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstanhave two, and Chinese-Taipei, Iran, Jordan, Turkmenistan, and Iran one apiece.

A one-hour opening ceremony between two preliminary rounds Tuesday afternoon had Dr. Chjing-Kuo Wu, president of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) and Ricky Vargas, president of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines, welcoming all participants and thanking those who supported the country’s hosting of the prestigious event.