PROSPECTS for Harry Tañamor winning a gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics are starting to look brighter.

Tañamor, the lone Filipino boxer for this August’s Olympics, dominated fellow Olympian Thomas Essomba of Cameroon, 17-4, Saturday to capture the 48-kg (light flyweight) gold medal in the first International Boxing Association (Aiba) President’s Cup in Sinjhuang City in Chinese Taipei.

The 30-year-old boxer was left to fight for the country after his teammates were waylaid in the early rounds.

“I think with the way he is performing, he is really up to something for the Beijing Olympics,” said Manny Lopez, president of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (Abap), who was in Chinese Taipei to witness the event in honor of Aiba president Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu of Chinese Taipei.

Tañamor clinched a finals seat by beating Purevdori Serdamba of Mongolia, 6-4, in Friday’s semifinals. Essomba defeated Birzhan Zhakypov of Kazakhstan , 14-11, to set up the gold medal fight with Tañamor.

After drawing a first-round bye, Tañamor beat Eduard Bermudez of Venezuela, 15-11, to head into the semifinals.

Lopez said Tañamor will be competing next in the Chemistry Cup in the middle of June. He trained in Cuba prior to the tournament.

Flyweight Rey Saludar, bantamweight Charlie Suarez, featherweight Orlando Tacuyan and light welterweight Genebert Basadre were the other Filipino bets in the Chinese Taipei tournament.

Evergreen or Purple Rain?

The last time the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers faced off in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals,

This time, AdU’s Lady Falcons refuse to wilt

TO some, success is measured by how an athlete or a team responds to adversity.

Adversity was synonymous with the Adamson women’s volleyball team the past few months, until the Lady Falcons snatched the Shakey’s V-League Season Five first conference title against Ateneo Friday at The Arena in San Juan.

BACOLOD CITY—Ferdie Aunzo staked his claim as the country’s top amateur when he captured the Philippine Amateur Golf Championship Sunday, overwhelming JR Tanpinco in their scheduled marathon 36-hole duel and cruising to a 5&4 victory at the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club.

PROSPECTS for Harry Tañamor winning a gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics are starting to look brighter.

LAHUG, Cebu—One-time world title challenger Z “The Dream” Gorres is back on his winning ways after he scored a significant 10-round shutout over tough Nick Otieno of Kenya Saturday night at the Waterfront Hotel.

A BUNCH of National University (NU) players set up the winning run in the last inning and Manila preserved its unbeaten slate, 5-4, over Cebu in the Baseball Philippines Series III Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Ballpark.

AFTER conquering the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) anew, Harbour Centre team owner Mikee Romero now shifts his attention to a bigger responsibility in an organization that’s still searching for stability.

It is said that in the battlefield, there are no atheists. And when one is thousands of feet up high in the rooftop of the world, well, you’re living on a lifeline and a prayer.