5 Davao Norte pugs gain finals

GEN. SANTOS CITY—Davao Del Norte stamped its mark in the semifinal round of the 12th Mindanao Boxing Championship here yesterday, sending five boxers to the battle for gold medals at the General Santos City Gymnasium in Barangay Lagao here.

Flashy Ra Bicycle Gabriel led the DDN onslaught by stopping Maasin (Leyte) bet Jeric Panerio right in the first round of their youth (age 15 to 16)  boys’ pinweight (46 kg) encounter.

Gabriel first rocked Panerio with a left hook to the face and a body blow for a standing eight count then finished off his opponent with a four-punch combination at the 2-minute, 14-second mark.

Joining Gabriel in today’s finals are teammates John Patrick Dinolan in the junior (17 to 18 years old) light flyweight division, Michael Jhon Bahena (junior fly), Mark Andy Austria (junior light bantam) and Jobel Araneta (junior bantam).

Dinolan beat GenSan A’s Joash Jordan, 11-9; Bahena dominated Balingasag’s Marvin Tabamo, 25-11; Austria thwarted Kidapawan’s Ronaldo Bravo, 10-9; while Araneta won by RSC (Referee-Stopped Contest) in the third round over Sonny Boy Maangue, also of Kidapawan.

The six-day event, organized by the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines headed by Ricky Vargas and hosted by General Santos through Mayor Darlene Custodio, lured 109 boxers from 19 teams in this city noted for fresh tuna and, of course, Fighter of the Decade Manny Pacquiao.

Though he’s in Los Angeles, preparing for his fourth showdown against Juan Manuel Marquez, the eight-division world champion fielded a seven-man Pacman-Sarangani squad. Three of the bets, including his second cousin Jonel Dapidran, advanced to the semifinals.

A resident of Digos, Davao del Norte, Dapidran, whose father is a first cousin of Pacquiao’s mother Dionisia, said his famous cousin has been very supportive of his two-year boxing career.

“He’s been providing me with equipment and helping me (financially) with my training,” said Dapidran.