Aparri makes it two in a row for PHL boxers in Ulaan Baatar

Alice Kate Aparri made it two in a row for the Philippine national women's boxing team in the 6th Asian Women's Boxing Championships in Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia.   The 27-year-old Baguio native defeated Meng-Chieh Pin of Chinese Taipei, 15-5, as the most senior female boxer in the national team had a strong start in the tournament. Aparri's win came after teammate Nesthy Petecio underscored her supremacy with a 12-3 win over Yuan Hu of Chinese Taipei in the opening day of the tournament last Monday. Aparri, a Hotel and Restaurant Management graduate but still pursuing a Computer Science degree at University of Baguio, made her presence felt in the ring as she hit powerful combinations against Meng. Josie Gabuco will be the next female fighter up for the Philippines as she takes on Yukie Luo of the People's Republic of China in the light flyweight division. Petecio will also see action as she attempts to barge into the medal round against North Korea's Un Jong Choe. Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) executive director Ed Picson said that the Pinay boxers are up for a tough challenge in the next bouts. "We've had relatively light assignments the first two days but now we face more serious opposition. Both Josie and Nesthy are anxious to get to the next level and I like their positive attitude,” said Picson. The Philippine squad came in Mongolia straight from their training stint in Muaklek, Thailand where the Thai National Training Center is located. They also had training sessions and dual meets with the Sri Lankan women's boxing team in Colombo. Seventeen Asian countries participated in the tournament which serves as a tune-up for the Women's Olympic Qualifying Event in Qinhuangdao, China in May. — JVP, GMA News