Ababa reigns in Iloilo after fiery stretch-run duel

Manila Times - Oct 3, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — Refusing to buckle under pressure, Jhonnel Ababa staged a dramatic late-round comeback on Friday, birdieing the final two holes to edge Jeffren Lumbo by one shot and capture the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge title with a scintillating 63 at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club. The seasoned campaigner and former Order of Merit champion unleashed a furious closing charge, pulling level with Lumbo on the 17th before sinking another clutch birdie on the 72nd hole. The electric finish ignited roaring cheers from the large crowd gathered around the 18th green. Ababa’s closing surge capped a remarkable stretch-run battle after Lumbo, who finished with a 67, had appeared firmly in control entering the final round. The 30-year-old Lumbo had opened a three-shot cushion over Ababa and Francis Morilla following a near-flawless third-round showing on Thursday, putting himself in prime position to claim his second career victory. But Ababa refused to let the gap dictate the outcome. Under sweltering conditions, the multi-title campaigner steadily chipped away at Lumbo’s advantage while a host of contenders, including Morilla, Reymon Jaraula, Clyde Mondilla, Ira Alido, and Rupert Zaragosa, also tried to stay within striking distance. With the field gradually running out of holes, Ababa made his move. A...

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Eumir Marcial echoes same sentiments in Carlo Paalam’s silver
Oct 3, 2026

Eumir Marcial echoes same sentiments in Carlo Paalam’s silver

MANILA, Philippines — Two-time Olympic medalist Carlo Paalam’s loss in the 2026 Asian Games gold-medal match hit close to home for Olympic boxer Eumir Marcial, who had suffered the same fate. Paalam had the chance to end the country’s 16-year gold medal drought, but he suffered a split-decision loss to Japan’s rising star Rui Yamaguchi, 3-2, in the men’s 52-kilogram (kg) division on Friday at the Nishio Gymnasium in Aichi, Japan. In the 2022 Hangzhou Games (held in 2023), Marcial also had a shot for gold in the men’s 80kg, but he settled for silver after bowing to China’s Tanglatihan Touhetaerbieke in a closely contested bout. The common denominator of the two Filipino Olympians’ fates is that Paalam lost to hometown bet Yamaguchi, and Marcial also lost to host China in the finals. Paalam expressed his frustration after the match against his Japanese foe, stating that the referee halted his momentum.  "I'm so good, but the referee again. I don't know, not a good decision. I don’t know about the decision of the referee; he was paying attention so much to me,” Paalam told the media in Filipino via the Philippine Olympic Committee right after stepping out of the ring. “If the momentum is on my side, he stops me. The referee looks like he has a magnifying glass on me,” he added. Marcial then posted on his Facebook account, recalling his 2023 Asian Games stint. “Way back at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, I also felt that I was robbed in the finals. I thought I had won the fight and would bring home the gold for the Philippines in Asian Games boxing after 13 years,” he wrote.  “We lost in the finals against the host country. What just happened is not new.” But Marcial said that whatever happens, one should move forward. “Whatever the decision, we need to accept it, move forward to the next fight, and continue chasing our dream. Congratulations, tol (brother). Salute.” Marcial skipped the 2026 Asian Games due to a tight schedule since he just had a professional boxing match in the United States, knocking out American Omar Ulises Huerta. The Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (ABAP) and Marcial had a joint decision to skip the Japan Games since rushing back to amateur format after his professional bout could pose an unnecessary physical and health risk.