Team Pacman dominates PLDT-Abap national slugfest

DIGOS CITY—Team Pacman grabbed five of the first 13 gold medals at stake Sunday to clinch the overall title in the PLDT-ABAP National Boxing Championships that was still going on at press time at Digos City Gymnasium.

Made up of standouts from the Manny Pacquiao Boxing Academy based in this Davao del Sur capital, the Team Pacman victors—all by unanimous decision (3-0)—were Ranjo Gil Napoles, Glaidyl Reducto, Jericho Sahohito, Jean Minguillan and Ryan Moreno.

The 14-year-old Napoles, the reigning Batang Pinoy regional and national champion, bested Ronald Chavez Jr., also 14 and son of national coach Ronald Chavez, to clinch the junior boys’ bantamweight (60 kg) gold.

Vast experience Napoles, an incoming high school junior at Ramon Magsaysay Memorial College, banked on his vast experience to beat Chavez, who saw ring action only for the fourth time after choosing boxing over basketball.

In the day’s most applauded bout, Moreno thwarted Jaybee Canedo of Camiguin to top the youth boys’ pinweight (46 kg) category confined to bets 17 to 18 years old. Using his longer reach, Moreno won the last two rounds over the charging Canedo.

They threw so many punches and provided relentless action that in the middle of the third round they both fell to the canvas due to sheer exhaustion.

Reducto triumphed over Lutayan’s Jolina Lamberte for the school girls’ paperweight (44 kg) title; Sahohito prevailed over Tayabas’ John Paul Ramos for the junior boys’ light fly (48 kg) crown; while Minguillan subdued Cagayan de Oro’s Elaide Pamisa for the junior girls’ pinweight (46 kg) gold.

Cagayan de Oro 2nd Cagayan de Oro followed Team Pacman with three golds courtesy of Carlo Paalam (junior boys’ pinweight, 46 kg), Angelica Dadole (junior girls’ light fly, 46 kg), and Shera Mae Jacinto (junior girls’ fly, 48 kg).

Paalam nipped Team Pacman’s Criz Sander Laurente (2-1); Dadole beat Bago City’s Sheila Mae Mag Usara (3-0); while Jacinto edged Team Pacman’s Joan Sumilhig.

Perennial contender Bago bagged two golds through Mario Bautista in the junior boys’ light category (52 kg) and Mario Jaga in the junior boys’ bantam division (54 kg).

Bautista won over Tayabas’ Archie Estelledes (3-0) while Jaga conquered La Union’s Lawrence Ordonio (3-0).

The other gold medalists were Zamboanga’s Rennie Boy Ferraren (school boys’ paperweight, 44 kg), GenSan’s Criztian Pitt Laurente (school boys’ light pinweight, 46 kg) and Cebu’s Kit Ceron Garces (junior boys’ fly, 50 kg). Five more gold medals were being contested at presstime.

The tournament, organized by the Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines headed by Ricky Vargas, is hosted by eight-division world champion and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao.