RP pugs ready against the world’s best amateurs

MILAN - Light-flyweight Harry Tañamor and his four teammates made the limit during the weigh-in Monday and worked out for a little more than an hour, all looking fine on the eve of the 2009 AIBA world men’s amateur boxing championships. “Handa na po, sir. Lalaban kami,’’ a smiling Tañamor said as he jogged his way to the room after a workout at the vast lawn of the 960-room Ripamonti Residence, home to the more than 500 boxers from some 100 countries competing in the 10-day tournament. Under the watchful eyes of coaches Patricio Gaspi and Ronald Chavez, bantamweight Joan Tipon, featherweight Charly Suarez, lightweight Joegin Ladon and light-welterweight Genebert Basadre also did some running, shadow-boxing, and calisthenics as they joined several others from other countries in practicing on a beautiful summer morning. Nobody from among the five took a hard time making the weight, something that elated the two Filipino coaches a day before the prestigious biennial tournament opens at the vast Mediolaforum in the heart of this fashion capital. “Lahat okay ang timbang at saka maganda ang kinilos kanina sa workout,’’said Gaspi, who handled the RP team’s month-long training with the help of two Cuban coaches in Havana, Cuba before proceeding here a few days ago. Brightest hope Without batting an eyelash, the two Pinoy coaches predicted that Tañamor remains the brightest hope for a medal in this tournament where the country’s best-ever performance was dished out two years ago by Tañamor himself. An Athens and Beijing Olympics veteran, who has carried the national colors for more than a decade, Tañamor became the best-ever Pinoy performer in this tournament launched in 1974 by winning a silver medal in the 2007 edition in Chicago. The 31-year-old Zamboanga City native lost to China’s Zou Zhiming, 17-3, in a one-sided bout as the effort of taking the measure of two highly-skilled, favored quarterfinal and semifinal round opponents took its toll in the end on Tañamor. Tañamor is also the owner of the four bronze medals won so far by Filipino simonpures in this meet that has bred the likes of Cuban greats Felix Savon (6 world titles) and Teofilo Stevenson (3 world titles) and former American heavyweight Tyrell Biggs. He won his first bronze in 2001 in Budafest, Ireland as a rookie, and duplicated the feat in 2003 in Bangkok, Thailand. “Lalaban yan. Marami na dyan (Tañamor’s division) ang mga suki niya. Pag sinuwerte sa draw, malaking malaki ang magiging tsansa,"said Gaspi. Although he forgot their names, Tañamor said he saw about three boxers whom he had beaten in the past also working out Monday morning, including Yampier Hernandez of Cuba. Hernandez is the same Cuban boxer whom Tañamor defeated in the World Cup finals. According to Tañamor, Hernandez has decided to move up to the flyweight class after failing to deliver in the World Cup and Beijing Olympics. The coaches are also confident the four other Filipino aspirants will do well in a tournament where they are seeing action for only the first time. But they are not new to performing triumphantly in battles. Tipon, for one, will climb the ring carrying an elegant record that includes a gold medal in the bantamweight division during the Doha Asian Games in 2006, while Suarez, Basadre and Ladon have been toughened by stints in a number of international tournaments like the King’s Cup and SEA Games, among others. “May ibubuga ang mga yan,’’ Chavez said. The draw is scheduled at 3 p.m. Monday (around 9 p.m. Manila time). - GMANews.TV