Pinoy Boxer Settles For Silver in Chicago

November 23, 2007  --  Got something to say?
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World Boxing Championship
By Joseph G. Lariosa
CHICAGO, Illinois - While his teammates were heading to the airport, Filipino light flyweight Harry Tanamor was climbing the boxing ring with his gold medal quest appeared furthest from his mind.

Tanamors lackadaisical frame of mind must have factored in his lackluster challenge to defending World Boxing Championship title holder Shiming Zou, who beat him, 17-3, in the finals of the 14th AIBA World Boxing Championships at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois Nov. 3. Tanamor settled for silver as Zou denied the lone Philippine Olympic qualifier the elusive gold.

A prohibitive pre-tournament favorite to beat Tanamor, Zou lived up to his billing when he opened with an aggressive attack, merely allowing the Filipino challenger to score a point against Zous three points at the end of the first round.

With hands on his side, Zou could not entice Tanamor to attack him. Even the English referee William John Phillips warned the two fighters twice to come into action. But Zou managed to land a combination to the body to pad his lead, 6-1, at the end of the second round.

Employing the non-aggressive tactics that he used in beating Tajikistans Sherali Dostiev earlier that ended in a 4-4 tie, Tanamor came up woefully short as he fell behind the count, 3-17, at the end of the third round.

At the opening of the fourth round, with a comfortable lead, Zou used the hit-and-run tactics that Tanamor used in beating American Luis Yanez, allowing only Tanamor to score a point while Zou was able to pile up four more points.
In a pre-fight interview, Jinxlong Liang of the Xinhua News Agency told this reporter that Shiming Zou was the heavy favorite to beat Tanamor. He said Zou has improved too much as a fighter.

Informed that Tanamor had beaten Zou in Busan Asiad in 2002, where Tanamor also went home with silver, Mr. Liang said, thats a long time ago.

Rolando Hiso, a Filipino American Chicago area boxing manager, said a couple of boxing promoters from New York commented after the fight that the blows that Tanamor landed on Zou were not counted into points early in the bout.
Hiso, who saw Tanamors team mates off at Chicagos OHare Airport, however, said the absence of his teammates to cheer him up during the fight might have contributed to Tanamors uninspired effort.

The Philippine team members were surprised Saturday morning to learn that they were to pack up and to checkout from their Palmer House Hilton Hotel.

A planned luncheon reception for the team members hosted by Consul General Blesila C. Cabrera at the Philippine consulate was even made shorter despite the presence of Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy Gaa, who was in town to receive a community award.

Aside from Tanamor, the members of the team are flyweight Violito Payla, bantamweight Joan Tipon, featherweight Charly Suarez, lightweight Genebert Basadre, light welterweight Delfin Boholst and featherweight Wilfredo Lopez; coaches Patricio Gaspi and Ronald Chavez, referee Arturo Doy Vidal, Rogelio Fortaleza, Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines Secretary General, who volunteered as a referee, and Manny T. Lopez, ABAP President and boxing juror.

The team members were told that they had to leave for San Francisco, California at 6:30 p.m. Since, they needed to be at the airport at 4:30 p.m., the team had to leave the UIC Pavilion as Tanamor was climbing the ring so they can beat the traffic.


Posted by News Team | Filed Under Articles/Stories 

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