Lady boxers Josie Gabuco, a former AIBA world champion, outboxed Lin Yu Ting of Taiwan in the flyweight division via majority decision while lightweight Nesthy Petecio blanked Kazakhstan’s Gulzhaina Ubbiniyazova via unanimous decision. The two will advance in the quarterfinals.
Unfortunately for the Philippines though, flyweight Ian Clark Bautista bowed down to South Korea’s Choe Sangdon via unanimous decision, despite the former knocking down the latter in the third round.
Filipino runners Archand Christian Bagsit and Edgardo Alejan likewise advanced in the semifinal round in the men’s 400 meter run as both were fourth in their respective heats.
Bagsit clocked in 46.88 seconds while Alejan, 47.29 seconds as both of their times were enough for them to qualify in the next stage.
The semifinals will be held later tonight.
The national softball team, better known as the Blu Girls, scored a split as they won against South Korea, 3-1, but bowed down to reigning gold medalist Japan, 2-10.
The Blu Girls are yet to face China, Taiwan, and Thailand. They have to finish at top four in the elimination round to qualify in the semifinals.
These successes were a sigh of relief from a heartbreaking loss by Gilas Pilipinas in men’s basketball as South Korea exacted revenge from their 2013 Fiba Asia tormentors.
Down by 16 in the third quarter, the Koreans, anchored on T.J. Moon’s 38 points, climbed back in the ball game with a strong third quarter performance by Kim Taesul, and endgame heroics by Yang Heejong for a 97-95 win.
Down 88-89, Yang scored five straight points in the last two minutes off a driving layup past the defense of Ranidel de Ocampo, and an open triple as the Koreans went up, 93-89, with less 30 seconds left.
A missed triple from a cramping Jimmy Alapag, who topscored for the Philippines with 25 points, was enough to bury Gilas in the game.
With a 0-2 record in the quarterfinals, the Philippines are in danger of bowing out of the medal round as the South Koreans advance to the semifinals.
In order to enter the semis, Gilas has to beat Kazakhstan by at least ten points on Sunday and must hope for South Korea to beat Qatar. This scenario came after Qatar bowed to Kazakhstan, 57-65.
If this scenario will happen, the three teams will be in a three-way tie, with the Philippines entering the semis with a higher quotient.
Head coach Chot Reyes opted to bench naturalized center Marcus Douthit in the game as he issued public statements blaming the 6’11” center, who anchored the Philippines to its silver medal finish in the 2013 Fiba Asia Championship, for their loss against Qatar on Friday.
