TAGBILARAN CITY—Twins Jake and Jade Bornea posted contrasting wins Tuesday to barge into the finals, boosting General Santos City’s chances in the 2012 PLDT-Abap National Amateur Boxing Championships at the Barangay Cogon gym here.
Jake Bornea whipped Samboy Lao, 21-9, of Misamis Oriental in their junior boys lightweight tussle while Jade edged Klemen Earl Cabahit, 11-10, also of MisOr, in the junior boys flyweight division as GenSan sent three boxers into today’s championship round.
Pinweight Regel Lou Alde started GenSan’s onslaught when he trounced Aglayan’s Robert Paradero, 13-6, in the first of 31 semifinal bouts on tap for the day.
It was Mandaue City’s Kevin Jake Cataraja, however, who grabbed the limelight with his impressive victory over MisOr’s Jaybie Haya, 15-7, in the boys flyweight division.
The 16-year-old Cataraja, a senior at Talamban National High School in Cebu, had impressed observers in this four-day roving tournament with abbreviated wins in the first and second rounds held in the towns of Carmen and Maribojoc, respectively.
Catajara knocked out GenSan’s Vergel Deguma in the second round then followed it up with an RSC (referee-stopped-contest) conquest of Maasin’s Dave Cabanday also in the second round.
Out to foil Cataraja’s gold medal bid is Jerson Magliquian of Team Buddy Andrada, being handled by former Olympian Romeo Brin. Magliquian subdued local bet Raul Yu, 23-19.
Mandaue’s other early finalist was junior light flyweight Bryan Remedio, who disposed of Negros’ Feleciano Santiago, 7-2, to forge a title duel with Jake Bornea.
Jade Bornea, on the other hand, will collide with Davao del Norte’s Charnie Jun Magsayo.