Bago, ALA share ABAP top honors

MANILA, Philippines - Bago City and ALA Gym bagged three gold medals each as they shared top honors in the PLDT-ABAP Visayas Area Boxing Championships at the Maasin City gym in Maasin City, Leyte last Sunday. 

Jasper Montano’s win over ALA Gym’s Vicente Casido in the youth boys lightweight division gave Bago City its third gold, foiling the Talamban, Cebu City-based boxing gym team’s bid for the overall title.

Both sides also bagged one silver and one bronze medal.

Unlike in his previous victories, Casido proved tentative against the shorter but heavier Montano. Although intimidated at first, Montano gained confidence and momentum after connecting with a hard left on Casido’s face in the first round and counterpunched his way to the gold medal for a 3-0 victory.

Other gold medal winners for Bago City were Cresan Paul Diacamos, who stunned last year’s national gold medalist Junrel Jimenez of Cebu City, 2-1, in the youth boys flyweight category; and Mario Jaga Jr. who posted the quickest win in the finals – a TKO win in the first round over local boy Marlon Samblaceno of Maasin City for the junior boys light bantamweight gold.

Jeffrey Estella won the junior boys bantamweight gold; Kenneth Paul Gentallan took home the youth boys flyweight diadem and Kevin Jake Cataraja emerged on top in the youth boys bantamweight division for ALA Gym.