Filipino boxer Leo Mhar Lobrido in the 3rd Asian Youth Games in Bahrain. POC Media
Leo Mhar Lobrido emerged as the lone bet for a medal for the Philippine boxing team in the 3rd Asian Youth Games.
This, after Justin James Zampatti bowed out in the preliminaries of the boys' 75kg, Monday at Hall 9 of the Exhibition World Bahrain in Sakhir.
Fighting in his first international competition, the 15-year-old Filipino suffered an RSC at the 1:44 mark of the second round against Diyorbek Murodilloev of Uzbekistan.
Zampatti received two standing eight counts near the end of the opening round before the referee finally stopped the bout after administering another one in the second round.
His exit left the 16-year-old Lobrido to carry the fight for the six-man boxing team by his lonesome.
A nephew of Olympians Isidro and Virgilio Vicera, Lobrido is already assured of a bronze but will try to raise the ante on Tuesday when he sees action in the semifinals of the boys' 46kg.
He will be up against Abdugani Yorkinjonov of Uzbekistan, a fighter he was able to spar during a recent training in China.
"They were able to spar against each other, pero more of a training camp yun," said Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines secretary general Marcus Jarwin Manalo.
"May tournament din doon, but hindi naman sila nagkalaban."
Aside from Zampatti, also relegated at the sidelines were Ernale Caballero, Jefferson Amaya, John Michael Estorba, and Shairylle
Meanwhile, Jamesray Ajido earned silver in the boys' 100-meter in swimming at the Khalifa Sports City.
Ajido clocked 55.11 seconds as Iran's Mohammadmahdi Gholami won the event in 54.75. Lau Kin Hei James of Hong Kong bagged the bronze with a time of 55.23.