AMMAN, Jordan – Ian Clark Bautista came through with short but rasping punches to beat his fancied Japanese opponent Hayato Tsutsumi in opening day of the Asia-Oceania Olympic Qualifying Tournament Tuesday here.
Bautista, a 25 year old Philippine Navy, scored heavily in the second and third rounds to make up for his slow start against the Youth World champion.
“Talagang nag-focus ako sa laban na ito. Malakas at magaling talaga siya pero talagang pinilit ko. Alam ko pagkakataon na para makapunta sa Olympics,” said Bautista after the fight.
He faces another tough challenge in his second bout on Friday, against Thailand’s Chatchai Butdee, who defeated him in the 30th Southeast Asian Games in Manila last December.
Head coach Ronald Chavez, however, said that if the boxer from Negros Occidental fights the way he did against the Japanese, he could well exact revenge on the Thai pug, a former Olympian.
Wednesday sees world women’s featherweight champion Nesthy Petecio facing Sri Lanka’s Kirismi Langkapurayalage, and Riza Pasuit meeting Saya Hamamoto of Japan.
