5 more Oro boxers enter finals

OROQUIETA CITY, Misamis Occidental--Powerhouse Cagayan de Oro boxing team added five more boxers going into the finals of the Batang Pinoy Mindanao Games at the Capitol basketball court Saturday.

The CDO boxing team of Mayor Oscar Moreno now has a total of nine fighters in the championships.

Friday’s semi-final winners were Cyrill Claire Payla, Angelou Lofranco, Eljay Pamisa, Jhasil John Illudar and Peter John Payla.

Pamisa scored a refereestopped-contest in the 41 seconds of Round 2 against South Cotabato’s Jude Vincent Villarde in the semifinal bout of the School Boys light paperweight (40 kg.).

He will next face Koronadal’s Rene Boy Atam, who outclassed Kidapawan’s John Lyod Manso, 5-0.

Lofranco and Cyrill also both scored unanimous decisions, 5-0 against Kidapawan’s Clyde Manso (School Boys Mosquito 38 kg.) and Agusan del Sur’s Ian Dave Racoma (School Boys Light Mosquito 34-36 kg.), respectively.

Lofranco will next fight Zamboanga’s Marlon Luna, who knocked out Koronadal’s Julse Arnel Tizara in the opening round.

Luna landed a solid hook on the chin to drop Tizara, who was rushed to the hospital for further medical check-up.

Illudar, on the other hand, outclassed Panabo’s Alexis Dagaang on points, 4-1 in the School Boys Paperweight (42 kg.) while Peter John Payla survived against the counter punching Jose Angelou Villarde of South Cotabato via a 3-2 score in the Jr. Boys light flyweight (48 kg.).

“Magaling at disiplinado lang talaga ang mga boxers namin kaya nakaabot sila ng finals (Our boxers are good and disciplined so they make it to the finals),” said CDO head coach Elmer Pamisa.

Four other CDO boxers had earlier qualified to the finals last Friday. They are Rhein John Gidor (School Boys light pinweight 44 kg.), Joshua Jan Obvina (Jr. Boys light bantamweight 52 kg.), Dave Bryan Caspe (Jr. Boys bantamweight (54 kg.) and Ailene Kaye Caranagan (Jr. Girls flyweight 50 kg.).

“Naaabot din nila ang kanilang mga pangarap dahil na rin sa aming butihing Mayor Oscar Moreno at saka sa mga kasamahan kong coaches,” said Pamisa.

Meanwhile, General Santos City kept its over-all leadership in the medal race even as Davao City is now in close second in the penultimate day of action of the Batang Pinoy Mindanao Games here.

As of press time, the Generals are still leading with a total of 44 gold medals plus