Pug Suarez blows Olympic bid

A MASSIVE blow.

That’s what Philippine amateur boxing took on the chin yesterday after Charly Suarez, its strongest candidate for qualification to the London Summer Games, yielded to Liu Qiang of China, 11-15, Thursday in the sport’s Asian Olympic Qualifying event in Astana, Kazakhstan.

In an effort to catch up on points with his foe, the 22-year-old from Davao City unleashed a barrage of punches to the face of Liu—who was given a mandatory eight-count with just 22 seconds left in their lightweight bout—to no avail.

By that time, Liu was already way ahead after having led, 8-4, after the first two rounds.

The relentless Suarez bloodied the nose of the taller, sly Chinese, who was attended to by ring physicians.

With Suarez’s defeat, the Philippines left Astana empty handed. Four other Filipinos—Rey Saludar, Dennis Galvan, Wilfredo Lopez and Joegin Ladon—suffered losses in the preliminaries.

Boxing, which produced the country’s only two Olympic silver medals through Anthony Villanueva in the 1964 Tokyo Games and Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco in the 1986 Atlanta Games, will now pin its hopes in the men’s division only on light flyweight Mark Anthony Barriga.

Barriga made it to London through a qualification quirk: He lost his quarterfinal match to the eventual gold medalist in last year’s World Championships.

The country still has a chance to send additional fighters to the Olympics through women’s boxing, which will have its own qualifying in China next month.

Suarez, the two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, fought tentatively in the first round, wary of Liu’s long reach. He engaged the Chinese in the middle of the ring but Liu ended up taking a 3-1 lead.

The Filipino next tried to get inside in the second round but Liu fended him off with jabs.

Suarez was also warned for low blows.