Philippines keeps Olympic dream alive as Saludar wins; Barriga eyes second victory

Baku, Azerbaijan—The Olympic gold medal dream lives through the fists of Philippine Army man and Guangzhou Asian Games flyweight champion Rey Saludar.

Saludar halted the skid of the PLDT-ABAP National Boxing Team in the AIBA World Championships here with an emphatic 28-12 win over Safoviddin Yusufi of Tajikistan Sunday.

The tournament serves as the qualifying event for the London Olympics.

The 2010 Asiad gold medal winner in the 52-kg class consistently broke through the defense of the Tajik with staggering left straights and right hooks. The lefty from Polomolok, South Cotabato, controlled the fight from the opening bell and never gave the 2010 Combat Games silver medalist a chance to get his bearings.

The soft-spoken Saludar needs one more win to be assured of an Olympic slot in 2012

He will face tough two-time Olympian Rau’shee Warren of the United States today. Warren, seeded fourth here, also won his match Sunday with a 22-15 walloping of Georgiy Chigayev of Ukraine despite giving up four penalty points to his opponent for low blows.

Yesterday morning, spitfire Mark Anthony Barriga tackled his second opponent, eighth-seeded Patrick Barnes of Ireland, an opportunity for Barriga to avenge his loss last year in the world youth championships against Barnes’ compatriot Ryan Burnett, who eliminated him in the round-of-16 also here in Baku.

Barriga was leading 3-2 going to the last round when the referee assessed two penalties on the Panabo, Davao del Norte native ostensibly for ducking. Barriga scored one more point in the round while the Irish lad did not score. But the latter won the match, 6-4 on the strength of four penalty points awarded him.

The diminutive 18-year-old was unfazed by the sterling credentials of his new Irish foe, who was a bronze medalist in the Beijing Olympic games.

In the evening session, seasoned Joan Tipon (gold, 2006 Asian Games) also attempted to crash into the final 16 in his fight against 2010 Asian Games silver medalist Zhang Jiawei of China. /abap media bureau