Gabuco wins women’s boxing gold at Philippine National Games

MANILA, Philippines – Women’s boxing world champion Josie Gabuco stamped her class against her opponents in the flyweight division as national team mainstays remained in top form in the 2014 Philippine National Games on Wednesday night, May 21 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.

Gabuco, who won the country’s first gold medal in the Qinhuangdao 2012 World Women’s Boxing Championships in China, breezed through the finals of the elite bantamweight division by outclassing her foes.

The three-time Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medalist completed her impressive showing with a third-round technical knockout win over Cagayan de Oro bet Jeanvee Flores in the finals.

Rey Saludar, Dennis Galvan and Mario Fernandez also ruled their respective divisions to move closer of clinching a spot on the country’s official delegation to the 2014 Incheon Asian Games in South Korea set from September 19 to October 4.

Guangzhou Asian Games gold medalist Saludar pummeled Roldan Boncales Jr. for two rounds to win on points in the elite men’s 52-kilogram division while SEA Games champions Galvan and Fernandez duplicated the feat in the elite men’s light welterweight and bantamweight classes.

Galvan scored a first-round technical knockout win over Richard Bacala while Fernandez dominated Jonas Bacho for three rounds.

Junel Cantancio (60 kg.), Wilfredo Lopez (81 kg.), Maricris Igam (45-48 kg.) and Irish Magno (54 kg.) were the other national team boxers that won gold.

In lawn tennis, men’s and women’s top seeds Patrick John Tierro and Marian Jade Capadocia outclassed the opposition to secure the finals berths. 

Tierro, last year’s losing finalist to Johnny Arcilla, grinded out a 7-5, 6-4 semifinals decision over Elbert Anasta and will face fourth seed AJ Lim in the gold medal match.

Lim defeated Arcilla, 6-3, 6-2, in the other semifinals pairing.

Capadocia secured the finals berth in the women’s side after a quick 6-1, 6-0 triumph over Pangasinan bet Edilyn Balanga. She will next face fifth seed Khim Iglupas, who needed a 6-3, 6-3 decision over No. 4 Maika Tanpoco.

In swimming, Laguna’s Skyler Claveria, San Juan’s Precilla Loren Aquino, and Manila stalwarts Brandon Willis Sing and Roanne Florence Yu collected four gold medals at the Rizal Memorial pool. 

Claveria ruled the boys’ 100-meter butterfly, 100m breaststroke, 50m breast stroke and 100m freestyle while Aquino, meantime clinched the golds in the girls’ 200m medley, 200m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke and 800m freestyle. 

Sing, on the other hand, wrested the gold in the 50 meter, 200 meter, 100 meter backstroke and 200 meter medley events, while Yu topped the 50m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 50m butterfly and helped the Big City bets to win the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Their gold-medal haul overshadowed the three golds of national team member Hannah Dato and the two golden performances of Olympian Jessie Khing Lacuna in the swimming competitions that never had any national records broken.

Results in other events, scattered in various venues from Manila to Tanuan City in Batangas, come in trickles. – Rappler.com