GUANGZHOU Asian Games flyweight champion Rey Saludar advanced to the third round of the World Boxing Championships and moved within a win of clinching a berth to the London 2012 Olympics. Saludar scored an emphatic 28-12 win over Safoviddin Yusufi of Tajikistan in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Sunday and needs to score another win to advance to the Olympics.
He faces tough two-time Olympian Rau’shee Warren of the United States on Tuesday.
Warren, seeded fourth in the tournament, scored a 22-15 walloping of Georgiy Chigayev of Ukraine despite giving up four penalty points to his opponent for low blows.
The 2010 Asiad Games gold-medal winner in the 52-kg class consistently broke through the defense of the Tajik with staggering left straights and right hooks.
The lefty from Polomolok, South Cotabato, controlled the fight from the opening bell and never gave the 2010 Combat Games silver medalist a chance.
Mark Anthony Barriga was set to take on his second opponent, eighth seed Olympic bronze medalist Patrick Barnes of Ireland, on Monday. In the round of 16 of the world youth championships last year also in Baku, the Filipino lost to another Irishman, Ryan Burnett.
Barriga was leading 3-2 going to the last round when the referee assessed two penalties on the Panabo native for ducking. Barriga scored one more point in the round while the Irish lad did not score. But the latter won the match, 6-4, on the strength of four penalty points awarded him.
The diminutive 18-year-old is unfazed by the sterling credentials of his new Irish foe.
“Suntukan naman ang labanan eh. Kung sino ang maraming patama, ’yon ang panalo. Damihan ko na lang ang tama,” said Barriga.
Joan Tipon, 2006 Asian Games gold medalist, also attempts to enter the final 16 when he battles 2010 Asian Games silver medalist Zhang Jiawei of China. Zheng also won silver in the 2010 Combat Games.
Earlier, Delfin Boholst, Rolando Tacuyan and Charly Suarez were eliminated in the preliminaries.
The nationals, accompanied by coaches Pat Gaspi, Ronald Chavez and Roel Velasco, are funded by the Philippine Sports Commission and PLDT with support from adidas, Accel, Powerade and Clusivol.
