Another Filipino advances in world boxing finals

MILAN - Team Philippines maintained its strong start when it sent another fighter to the next round of the 15th Aiba World Amateur Boxing championships at the Mediolanum Forum.

Featherweight Charly Suarez joins other Filipino pugs Joan Tipon and Genebert Basadre to the round-of-32 after acing his first-round match defeating a much taller Romanian Iulian Stan, 18-8.

“Nilabanan ko ng sabayan kahit na mas malaki siya. Buti nagsitama ang mga suntok ko,” said Suarez after the victory—the most convincing so far by the five-member Filipino squad in the 144-nation tournament.

“Both his defense and offense were good. Even if his opponent is bigger, his jabs did not connect because of Charly’s defense,’’ said head coach Pat Gaspi.

The 21-year-old Suarez, who is on his fifth year as a member of the national team, joined lightflyweight Tañamor, bantamweight Tipon and light welterweight Basadre in the next round.

Among the three, Tañamor, the two-time Olympian, had the easiest time as he advanced to the next round after enjoying a first-round bye. His first match will be against Hoyhannes Danielyan.

Basadre, a 5-1winner over Pakistan’s Aamir Khan Tuesday, is set to meet Brazilian Myke Carvajo in the next round of the light welterweight division.

Tipon, who debuted with a scrambling 8-3 decision over Sri Lanka’s Kamal Gamaethira-lalage, will face Algerian Abdelhalim Ouradi.

The 5-foot-6 Suarez, who was discovered in the National Open in 2003 in Tagbilaran, Bohol, built a 4-2 lead in the first round and kept padding it as he repeatedly out hit the Romanian.

In the third and final round, he came away with a couple of 1-2 combinations as the clock expired.

Suarez will be fighting another taller opponent in the next round. He is set to battle South Korea’s Joo Min Jae.

The unorthodox Joo, who is about five inches taller than Suarez, used his height to good use to escape with a 9-2 decision over Etonia’s Vladimir Nikiforov.