Despite his best efforts, Rogen Ladon was unable to secure a spot in the upcoming Olympics. The Filipino Olympian in the 51kg category fell short in his bid to qualify for the Paris Games as he was defeated 4-1 by Spain’s Rafael Lozano Jr, son of two-time Olympic medalist Rafael Lozano Sr.
Meanwhile, Rio 2016 silver medalist Yuberjen Martinez had a successful start in his quest for a third Olympic appearance, earning a comfortable unanimous points victory over Nepal’s Chandra Thapa. Other notable winners in the 51kg category included So Chon-ryong of People’s Republic of Korea, Venezuela’s Keymberth Gonzalez, Carlos Suarez of Trinidad and Tobago, and Ecuador’s Luis Delgado.
In other weight classes, Huthaifa Eshish of Jordan emerged victorious with a 4-1 points decision over Ergyunal Sebahtin. Athletes like David De Pina of Cabo Verde, Hamza Essaadi of Morocco, and Baresham Harutunyan of Armenia also secured wins in their respective bouts.
The tournament featured bouts in the men’s +92kg superheavyweight division, with Willys Mendoza of Colombia defeating Morocco’s Younes Bouhdid 3-0 and Kennedy St Pierre of Mauritius claiming a unanimous decision over Ghana’s Mark Ahondjo. On Sunday, bouts from the men’s 63.5kg and men’s 71kg classes will continue.
