Suarez, Saludar settle for silvers

MANILA, Philippines - PLDT-ABAP national boxers Charly Suarez and Rey Saludar fell short of their gold medal bids as they bowed to their Uzbek and Kazakh foes in the fourth President’s Cup in Almaty, Kazakhstan Sunday.

Suarez knocked down Asian lightweight champion Berik Abdrahmanov in the third round with a wicked right hook. The Kazakh was given an eight-count by the referee and got up at the count of four still wobbly.

He tried to fight back but instead got tagged repeatedly by Suarez’s bombs until the bell surprisingly ended the bout.

“The bell rang suspiciously early,” rued coach Elmer Pamisa. “We never even heard the 10-second clapper to signify that the round was about to end.”

The judges from Russia and Ukraine scored it 29-28 and a judge from the Kazakh region of Shymkent submitted a tally sheet of 30-27, all for Abdrahmanov.

Saludar also looked like he had outpunched Uzbek Zoirov but likewise suffered a 30-26, 30-27 and 30-27 loss.

“We came here to gauge our strengths and weaknesses and to help us in our decision on our final lineup for the Asian Games. Saludar and Suarez both had four tough fights in six days. I think we achieved our objectives,” said ABAP executive director Ed Picson.

Another batch of Asiad aspirants arrived in Guiyang, China for the equally strong China Open which got under way yesterday.