3 GOLDS, 1 SILVER FOR RP BOXING TEAM
Tallinn, Estonia, Oct. 6, 1998 - Almost, but not quite the champions of the 6th Karl Leman International Championships. That best sums up the achievement of the Philippine team of boxers to the 6th Karl Leman International Championships just concluded at the Kalev Sports Hall in Tallinn.
Gold medals went to Roel Velasco, Arlan Lerio and Joel Barriga, while Eric Canoy won a silver Sunday night (Monday in Manila), as the Filipino contingent narrowly missed being the overall champion of thenine-nation, 13-team European ranking tournament.
Team Caltex Philippines actually tied the French squad with three golds each, but the French had beat the Pinoys by winning two silvers, one silver more than the RP team grabbed.
Velasco, the 1997 World Championships silver medallist, defeated five-year Estonian title-holder Sergei Tassimov, 15-5, in the light-flyweight final.
Lerio beat European junior champion Brahim Asloum, 13-9 for the flyweight gold, while Barriga floored Belarusian Danil Prilepko in just two rounds in the lightweight division, thereby earning his first crown in a foreign country.
Canoy, on the other hand, lost to the taller Hamed Larbi of Sweden in the featherweight class.
The bronzes were won by light-welter Romeo Brin and welter Reynaldo Galido.
Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines Manny Lopez said the boxers "exceeded expectations" and appeared to be ready for the Bangkok Asian Games in December.
Reported by: Sol Jose Vanzi
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