Boxing mixed results: Ogayre advances, Pasuit falls

NAGOYA — From a mere escape in preliminary round, Junmilardo Ogayre came back hungry, angry, and precise, picking apart Nepal’s Magar Roka, 5-0, to punch his ticket to the quarterfinals of the 20th Asian Games at the Nishio Gymnasium.

It was redemption with gloves on.

On Monday, against Mongolia’s Gantumur Lundaa, Ogayre took the first two rounds on four cards, barely enough to survive a final-round scare  – a standing eight-count as his legs went heavy and Lundaa hunted for the knockout.

That was Ogayre in his first bout.

Against Roka, Ogayre was a different animal, with the former Asian Championships bronze medalist completely on target from the opening bell – cutting the ring, doubling the jab, and ripping clean counters down the middle.

There was no doubt for any of the five judges from Germany, Mauritius, Serbia, Canada, Saudi Arabia. All of them scored a clean sweep for the Pinoy.

And it was exactly the morale-lifter Team Philippines needed, coming moments after a heartbreak.

In the women’s 54kg, Riza Pasuit could never find her rhythm against Thailand’s Natnicha Chongprongklang, dropping a unanimous decision and trimming the Philippine boxing team down to three.

“Mixed results. Riza was not able to set up her attack against the Thai. Meanwhile, Junmilardo did what he’s supposed to do to dominate the Nepalese,” said boxing chief Marcus Manalo.

Now, the hard part.

Waiting in the quarterfinals in the 60kg division is the monster in the bracket – Uzbekistan’s Abdulmalik Khalokov, Olympic champion, world-beater, the man everyone is trying to avoid.

Ogayre knows, but he doesn’t care anymore.

“We look forward to the bouts of Olympians Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam to add more boxers into the quarterfinals,” said Manalo.

For Ogayre, the message is simpler: his close escape is over. The hunt is on.