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By Emil C. Noguerra, Correspondent
DOHA Asian Games bantamweight gold medalist Joan
Tipon leads five boxers leaving on Tuesday for the Asian Olympic
qualifying in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Joining Tipon in the trip are lightweight
Genebert Basadre, featherweight Olando Tacuyan, light welterweight
Delfin Boholst and flyweight Godfrey Castro, who replaced injured
Violito Payla.
“We are aiming for two to three more slots
because these boxers are all capable of bringing home the bacon. We
are hoping for the best. This might be the break that we are waiting
for,” said Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP)
Secretary-General Roger Fortaleza.
Payla, also a gold winner in Doha, was supposed
to compete in Kazakhstan. But the 29-year-old boxer injured his left
shoulder while training in Baguio City and was advised to get a full
rest by Philippine Center for Sports Medicine (PCSM) Chief Dr. Raul
Canlas.
“We are saddened with the turnout because
Payla showed a lot of improvement during his training and he’s
raring to go for it. Unfortunately, the doctors did not allow him to
compete,” added Fortaleza, who is joining the trip together with
ABAP President Manny Lopez and coaches Pat Gaspi and Boy Velasco.
The Kazakhstan tournament, slated March 16 to
24, is the last qualifying for the Beijing Games this August.
Harry Tañamor earned an Olympic slot after
winning the silver in the AIBA World Boxing Championship in Chicago,
Illinois last year.
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