3 CdO pugs make ABAP boxing final

HOST Cagayan de Oro City sent three of its boxers to the final round of the 2013 PLDT ABAP Mindanao Boxing tournament at the city’s Tourism Hall.

Backed by a boisterous hometown crowd, CdO boxers who won their semifinal matches were Team CDO-A’s Carlo Paalam and Mark Lumbad and Lorenz Ladrada of Team CDO-B.

The three fighters all won by unanimous decision victories in the Junior Boys division in the tournament, which is organized by the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) and supported by PLDT and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

Ladrada eliminated Fedemar Antiga of Cabadbaran in the Light Bantamweight Class, Lumbad overpowered Eduardo Medio of Camiguin in the Light flyweight Class while Paalam beat Jerson Moreno of MPBA in the Light Pinweight division.

Also in the final is Jay Boy Suan of Team Mindy’s who scored a thrilling split decision win over Alan Garing of Valencia in the Flyweight class.

In the finals, Paalam will meet Samuel Salva of Gingoog City, a unanimous decision winner over John Paul Bentoso of Team Pacman while Lumban will battle Ryan Christian Munda of Valencia City.

Ladrada, for his part, will be battling Tomjone Mangubad of Team Manolo Fortich of Bukidnon, who eliminated Falcon Cris Ocana of Mindy’s with a unanimous decision verdict

Cagayan fielded in a total of 14 boxers divided into two teams with seven more pugs trying to earn Finals slots yesterday.

Aside from the Junior Boys, also at stake are gold medals in the five weight categories in the Youth Boys and two divisions in the Junior Girls.

Tournament Supervisor is AIBA three-star international referee-judge Roger Fortaleza while competition manager is AIBA International Technical Official (ITO) Karina Picson.

Liaison officer for the CdO team is Oscar H. Cinco while those who are helping officiate the meet are AIBA 1-star International Referees-Judges Ludy Ceriales of Misamis Oriental, Michael Monton of Bohol, Fernie Lou Abing of CdO, Guillermo Retiban of Talisay, Negros Occidental and Martin Sonido of Iloilo. /Correspondent Jade Violeta