World Youth champion Eumir Felix Marcial and three other Philippine bets continue their quest for gold medals in the semifinal round of the 2013 ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships today at Subic gym in Subic Freeport.
Also assured of at least a bronze medal each in the 24-nation tournament are Ian Clark Bautista, James Palicte and Jade Bornea.
Bantamweight Jonas Bacho became the lone Filipino casualty when he yielded to Uzbekistan’s Nursuitan Nisanbaev, 8-9, in their 56-kg quarterfinal duel Wednesday night.
Marcial, winner of the light bantam gold in the 2011 World Juniors held in Astana, Kazakhstan, will be battling Anvar Turamov of Uzbekistan in the (64 kg) light welterweight division.
Atoning for his scrambling countback win over India’s Kavinder Bisht in Monday’s inaugurals, Bautista whipped Kazakhstan’s Sagidyk Moldashev, 15-7, in the (52 kg) flyweight quarterfinals to advance to the semis opposite Japanese Masaya Koyabashi, 18-17 conqueror of Turkmenistan’s Yazmyrat Gurbanov.
Palicte will be up against Mongolia’s Norobal Otgontumuk, who trounced Korea’s Hyok Jang, 22-7.
Aiming to improve on his bronze medal finish in last December’s World Youth Boxing Championships in Armenia, Bornea faces Turkmenistan’s Shatlykmyrat Myradov in the 49 kg (light flyweight category.
For Abap executive director Ed Picson, having four Filipino semifinalists is a feat in itself.
“Couldn’t ask for more,” said Picson. “OK, we’re kicking ourselves that Bacho missed the semis train by one but he gave it his best. Next target, the finals! The going gets tougher, but our boys will go for it.”
Ricky Vargas, president of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines and of Maynilad Water, said Bacho’s defeat did not dampen his spirit a beat.
“Our main focus here was to stage a successful tournament that our guests would remember fondly; by what we hear, we may have achieved that,” said Vargas, who will cheer on the Filipino fighters in the semifinal and championship round (Saturday). “But having four of our five boxers in the semis proves our grassroots development program is on the right track.”
Uzbekistan has seven boxers in the silver medal bout; Kazakhstan has five the Philippines, Japan, China and India four; Mongolia and Iran three; Iraq two, and Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, Jordan, Turkmenistan one each.
Myradov advanced by beating Iran’s Houman Taghanihoulari, 22-8; Turamov crushed Kyrgyzstan’s Izatillo Shermakhammadov, 28-9; Kobayashi plastered Turkmenistan’s Yazmyrat Gurbanov, 18-11; and Otgontumuk outclassed North Korea’s Hyok Jang, 22-7.
The tournament is backed by the MVP Sports Foundation, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, PLDT, Smart, NLEX, Maynilad, Clarktel, Subictel, Department of Tourism, Tourism Promotions Board and Videogear Inc., among others. Roy Luarca