Two Filipino qualifiers for boxing competition in the ongoing Rio Olympics will collide with their respective foes in the next two days with Charly Suarez going up against Joe Cordina of Great Britain Saturday (Sunday morning in Manila).
The other qualifier Rogen Ladon will go up against the winner of the fight between Patrick Louren?o of Brazil and Yurberjen Martinez of Colombia in the second round on August 8 after receiving a bye earlier. After the bye, Ladon will need two wins to break into the medal round while Suarez will need three wins. Boxing competition will start August 6 at the Riocentro Convention Center in Rio de Janeiro. With a lean contingent in the 2016 Rio Olympics, the Philippines is banking on Suarez and Ladon to break into the medal standing for the country’s delegation starting with Suarez’s debut Saturday. The Philippines has not won any Olympic medal since 1996 but boxing has given the country at least five of the nine medals it has garnered since its participation in the Olympics. Suarez is a two-time gold medalist in the Southeast Asian Games, one in Laos when he fought there as in 2009 and the other in Jakarta in 2011. In 2014, Suarez won the silver medal in the Asian Games held in Incheon, South Korea. He is also a recipient of three other silver medals from different boxing competitions in Asia. The 27-year-old boxer from Sawata, Davao del Norte has a tough opening bout against his British opponent who is a gold medalist in the European Amateur Championship. If Suarez gets past Codina Saturday, he will go up against the winner between Qatar and Usbekistan. Ladon, who needs only two victories to barge into the medal round, is set to face the winner between Patrick Louren?o of Brazil and Yurberjen Martinez of Colombia in the second round.
