Saludar siblings strike in Finland, put away Tammer Cup gold medals

BROTHERS REY and Victorio Saludar struck gold Sunday as the PLDT-Abap national team emerged as the top squad in the 31st Tammer Cup at the Pyynikkin Palloiluhalli Sports Hall in Tampere, Finland. 

Victorio, a 19-year-old find from Davao del Norte, showed his immense potential in pummeling England’s Charlie Edwards, 7-3, in the 48 kg finals to earn the “Best Fighter of the Tournament” award.

Rey, two years older than Victorio at 21, overwhelmed Portugal’s Pedro Matos, 6-0, to wrest the gold medal in the 52-kg division.

The national boxers, honing their skills for the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, next month, were actually looking forward to a perfect four-for-four golden run on the final day of the tournament.

But Charley Suarez, reputedly the country’s top fighter, fell to Finnish ace Matti Koota, 0-6, in the 56 kg finals and settled for the silver.

Getting a new lease on his amateur boxing career, Delfin Boholst also wound up with a silver after dropping a narrow 1-2 decision to Ireland’s Ross Hickeyin the 64 kg gold-medal match.

Still, the two-gold, two-silver output was enough to better the performances of host Finlad and France, which had three finalists each.

The Philippines also bagged two gold medals in 2006, courtesy of Joan Tipon and Violito Payla, who went on to bag golds in the Asian Games later in that same year. 

Koota displayed exceptional counterpunching skills and proved an elusive target for Suarez.

But Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines executive director Ed Picson believed the final score should have been closer.

“I thought the match was closer, because Koota was given a standing 8-count in the last round,” said Picson. “I seriously doubt that Charly did not deserve a single point.

“The hometown boy fought smartly and I think he deserved the win. The crowd also did its job.”

The tournament is the final tuneup for the national boxers before they plunge into action in the Asiad. Cedelf P. Tupas