Two Filipino boxers have made it to the quarterfinals in their respective divisions of the ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships in Dubai. Jere Samuel Dela Cruz overwhelmed Sri Lanka’s Wimukthi Kumara in his lightweight (60kg) match, while 20-year-old Dela Cruz passed through following a nod from four of the five judges.
Meanwhile, John Paul Panuayan defeated UAE’s Majid Alnaqbi 5-0 in their light-welterweight (64kg) match, while Marvin Tabamo lost to Afghanistan’s Ramish Rahmani in the flyweight (52kg) division, by a slim 3-2 decision On Day 1 of the competition. Panuayan will be up against Tajikistan’s Bakhodur Usmonov in the quarterfinals of the light-welterweight division.
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Mark Lester Durens will be facing off against Mansour Khalefah of Kuwait in light flyweight (46-49kg), while Junmilardo Ogayre will be boxing against Rukmal Prasanna of Sri Lanka in the bantamweight division (56kg).
Marciel dela Torre, who is the first Filipina boxer in this competition, will be facing Indonesia’s Huswatun Hasanah in the women’s lightweight section (57-60kg).
A total 150 boxers, including 47 women, are participating for the Philippines in the Dubai event, and those competing in the Asian Elite include: five-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Josie Gabuco and Olympic-bound middleweight Eumir Marcial.
