Payla, Basadre beat foes in qualifier for Olympics

The Philippine boxing team finally ended its losing streak at the World Boxing Championships in Chicago, Illinois, with flyweight Violito Payla and lightweight Genebert Basadre defeating their opponents at the University of Illinois-Chicago Pavilion on Thursday (Friday in Manila). According to a press statement coming from the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP), Payla beat Andrew Selby of Wales via a referee-stopped-contest-outscored decision, while Basadre beat Ognyan Kolev of Bulgaria, 19-13. The twin victories advanced the boxers to the round of 32 in the tournament sanctioned by the Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur (AIBA, or International Boxing Association). The tournament serves as qualifier to the Olympic Games in Beijing. To book Olympic slots, Payla and Basadre must win two more bouts and enter the quarterfinals. The top eight finishers will advance to Beijing. Payla and Basadre delighted a sizable Filipino crowd headed by Philippine Sports Commission chair William Ramirez and 1970 Asian Games gold medalist Ricardo Fortaleza. The end came for Selby as Payla posted a 24-4 lead in the third round. Payla scored heavily with his short and long punches which dazed the determined Welshman. ABAP president Manny T. Lopez, who is also a member of the powerful AIBA executive committee, said the wins should serve as challenge to the team. "It's really nice to win, but we need to work doubly hard in order to achieve our goals," Lopez said. "These victories are just what the team needed in the face of world class opposition." Payla's next foe is Englishman Khalid Said who dominated Armenian Derenik Gizhlayran, 22-10, in an earlier bout. Bantamweight Joan Tipon, light-welterweight Delfin Boholst, and featherweight Charly Suarez bowed to their opponents in the first two days of action. - GMANews.TV