Central boxers win 50% of total gold medals on offer

TEAM Central hauled in half of the gold medals on offer last night in both the men’s and women’s boxing finals at the Sir John Guise Indoor Complex.
The games’ co-hosts boxed their way through four men’s and three women’s bouts for their golden haul, exhibiting quality action, and just plain rumbling, in the ring.
Top fighters Romano Inapi (fly, 51kg), Cornelius Inapi (bantam, 54kg), Eric Ipautsi (feather, 57kg) and Nicholas Aisa (light heavy, 81kg) collected the men’s wins while Philo Magaiva (52kg), Angela Ni (54kg) and Carmelia Ako (69kg) won the women’s bouts.
Team NCD could only manage one gold through Elias Konou in the men’s lightweight (60kg) and Lydia Kamane in the women’s 60kg division.
Autonomous Region of Bougainville went through their finals winning the men’s welter (69kg) and the middle (75kg) courtesy of Michael Lemin and Victor Sihung.
In the women’s category, the winners were Jacklyn Wangi in the 57kg and Grace Rumani in the 64kg divisons.
Lone Gulf finalist in the ring Roy Gavera won his bout for the gold in the light fly (48kg) and Team Eastern Highlands’ lone medallist in the ring, Tom Boga, showed true class for his bout win in the light welter (64kg) division.
Boga, going in against the “arrogant” Shane Aming from New Ireland showed a class of his  own, with some hard-hitting and well executed blows to tally up for a remarkable result.
Karanas “hard-nut” Aming was not settling for his opponent’s onslaught and kept himself in the contest with some major points of his own.
A round three “stunner” by Boga in the third quarter, however, brought him to his knees, followed with a round four finish.
Boga finishing off with the gold, showed promise for future boxing, shining a bit of light on the potential up in the Highlands.
His fight was witnessed by Goroka MP Thompson Harokqaveh, Eastern Highlands Deputy Governor John Boito and Environment and Conservation Minister Benny Allan.
The last two finals were fought late with the medal presentation to take place this afternoon at the complex.