Dubai: Dubai-based Round 10 Boxing Club was perhaps the biggest winner at the Pinoy Pride 32: Duel in Dubai event held at the Dubai World Trade Centre late on Friday.
The Al Quoz-based gym had four winners from the five fighters they entered on the night.
“This is just the beginning for our club. There is a long-term target and that is to eventually have UAE boxers performing at the national level,” Viorel Morovan, Round 10’s chief coach, told Gulf News.
“But if we don’t have more competitions then we are not going to have development of the sport from the grassroots onwards.”
Mohammad Akram of Syria got things going with a unanimous decision win over Nicholas Mwangi of Kenya, while Nigerian Lasisi Bamidele needed less than three minutes of the opening round for a knock-out win over Thailand’s Singnoi Singmansak.
Deo Kizito of Uganda continued the good work for Round 10 with a fourth-round knock-out of Thai boxer Fapetch Manopchaigym in their six-round junior welterweight division bout.
Larry Abarra then had the Filipino supporters squealing with delight with an opening-minute flooring of Tony Arema of Indonesia.
