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Boxer Charly Suarez earns at least another bronze for PH in Day 10

Boxer Charly Suarez earns at least another bronze for PH in Day 10

The men’s boxing team continues to inject high hopes for Team Philippines in the 17th Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, with lightweight Charly Suarez advancing to the semifinals on Monday and assuring himself of at least a bronze medal.

Suarez, 26, defeated Iraq’s Ammar Jabar Hasan behind a 3-0 decision, courtesy of identical scores of 29-27 from three judges, at the Seonhak Gymnasium. He earned the right to face Jordanian Mohammada Mustafa Alkasbeh in the semifinals on Thursday, hoping he could step closer on giving the Philippines its first gold medal.

Not to be outshone was middleweight Wilfredo Lopez who turned back a brawny Iraqi in Abdulridha Waheed behind a 3-0 win in their Round of 16 match and advanced to the quarterfinals against Mongolia’s Shinebayar Narmandakh on Tuesday.

“Naging habit na ni Lopez na nakababa ang kamay, matagal na namin kino-correct yun,” said coach Nolito “Boy” Velasco. “Kailangan bukas ‘pag kaharap na niya ang Mongolian, takip mukha na siya. May sugat ‘yung Mongolian, doon naming siya tatargetin. May pag-asa tayong maka-sure bronze kapag nagawa natin ‘yung plano.”

The victories of Suarez and Lopez gave the country’s boxing officials a perfect tonic following the stunning 0-3 defeat absorbed by flyweight Ian Clark Bautista last Saturday against hometown bet Choe Sangdon along with a pair of losses suffered by women boxers Josie Gabuco and Nesthy Petecio last Sunday.

Also staying in the hunt for the Philippines are light flyweight Mark Anthony Barriga and bantamweight Mario Fernandez who will also climb back into the ring on Tuesday for their respective quarterfinal bouts.

Barriga, a 2012 London Olympics veteran, battles Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan while Fernandez takes on Shiva Thapa of India.

Also continuing to entertain hopes of landing a medal was the country’s softball team, which dropped a close 4-5 decision to Chinese-Taipei but still remained on course in advancing to the medal round, at least in the bronze medal match– depending on the outcome of the games of the leading teams.

The Blu Girls are sporting a 1-2 won-lost record but are expected to make it an even 2-2 card with an expected breeze against Thailand (0-3) at the close of the round-robin eliminations on Tuesday.

“We are on course toward what we have planned for the Asian Games,” Blu Girls assistant coach Ana Santiago.

Outside of the men’s boxing and the softball squads, the Philippines continued to struggle.

The celebrated Gilas Pilipinas suffered yet another stinging loss against deposed back-to-back champion China 71-78 in their classification match, causing the Filipinos to drop into their worst showing in the cage scene in Asiad history.

The loss, the Gilas’ fourth overall against just a pair of wins in this tourney, relegated it to the battle for seventh place at 2:15 p.m. (Manila time) on Tuesday against Mongolia at the Hwaseong Sports Gymnasium.

Touted long jumper Marestella Torres, a projected medal winner, failed to clear an attempt in three tries at the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium, leaving the big responsibility to her other athletics teammates on Tuesday.

Eric Shawn Cray takes his crack in heat 3 of the men’s 400-m hurdles against entries from China, Korea, Uzbekistan, Japan and Kuwait while Henry Dagmil competes in the men’s long jump against 16 other entries, his personal best of 7.99 nowhere near the top.

Also plunging into action is decathlete Ramil Jesson Cid, who will try to prove his mettle in the first five events: 100-m run, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400-m hurdles.