MANILA, Philippines ? Boxers backed by Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao captured most of the gold medals up for grabs at the close of the POC-PSC Philippine National Games Mindanao eliminations in Pagadian on Monday.
Boxers from General Santos City topped the list with four golds, led by Jhon Peter Patrick Cagumay, who scored an impressive fourth-round technical knockout win over Bayog’s Roque Tapayan in the junior boys’ bantamweight division at the Combat Sports Arena inside the Provincial Government Center.
RV Denega topped Team Pacman’s Richard Bulacan, 2-1, in the boys’ flyweight division, Jayson Mama carved a unanimous decision triumph over Sarangani province’s Rodrigo Belinggan in the boys’ flyweight class, and Regel Lou Alde beat Jerson Bancil of Digos City by a 2-1 decision in the men’s elite flyweight category for GenSan’s other victories.
Team Pacman took two golds with Jean Minguillian dominating Zamboanga City’s Rosmil Samson, 3-0, and Rey Tagulaylay proving too much for Digos City’s Jeremy Puno, 3-0, in the men’s elite light flyweight championships.
Zamboanga City and the town of Guipos, Zamboanga del Sur also secured a pair of mints each in the sportsfest.
Rennie Boy Ferraren beat Team Pacman’s Jestine Tesoro, 2-1, in the boys’ light bantamweight class, while Romer Dagoy whipped Manti’s Aljum Pelesio, 3-0, in the boys’ bantamweight category for Zamboanga City.
Guipos boxer Sherwin Anthony Marcial overwhelmed Cagayan de Oro’s Renato Victolero, 3-0, and teammate Dennis Gaan beat CDO’s Roel Otaza, 3-0, to rule the boys’ lightweight and men’s light welterweight title matches, respectively.
Sarangani’s Dave Apolinario defeated Archie Galvez of Zamboanga City, 3-0, to secure the boys’ light-flyweight crown, while Cabadbaran’s Felmar Antiga downed Jan Ramil Boloy of GenSan, 3-0, to claim the boys’ featherweight title.
Lutay’s Carolyn Calungson clobbered GenSan’s Roxan Capawan, 3-0, in winning the girls’ bantamweight championship, while Pagadian’s Mohammad Khader Banua beat Cagayan de Oro’s Denmark Quibido, 2-1, in the men’s bantamweight finals.
Meanwhile, Earl John Zamora of Cabadbaran, a former member of the National University varsity, topped the men’s standard competition in chess, while Davao City’s Mary Jonah Lequin took top honors in the women’s standard division.
The gold, silver, and bronze medalists in the Mindanao eliminations qualified for the PNG National Finals in April 2016.
