MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) - Charly Suarez has punched his ticket to Rio.
The 27-year-old from Panabo City, Philippines stopped Chinese boxer Shan Jun after round two to enter the finals of the Asian-Oceanian Olympic Qualifiers on Thursday, March 31 at the Tangshan Sports Centre in Qian’An, China.
Suarez is now assured of at least a silver medal finish and has now qualified for the 2016 Olympics, joining light flyweight Rogen Ladon, who qualified earlier today with a unanimous decision win in his semifinals match.
Suarez can cap off his China visit in style when he faces Mongolia's Otgondalai Dorjnyambuu in a rematch of their 2014 Asian Games gold medal match, which Dorjnyambuu won by split-decision.
The Philippines fell short of ending the day with a third qualifying boxer as bantamweight Mario Fernandez lost to Thailand's Chatchai Butdee by unanimous decision earlier in the day and welterweight Eumir Marcial likewise dropped a points verdict to Shakram Giyasov of Uzbekistan.
Both Fernandez and Marcial can still qualify on Friday if they win their bronze medal matches. Fernandez is set to face Kairat Yeraliyev of Kazakhstan, while Marcial's opponent is still to be determined.
The Philippines has already surpassed its boxing delegation from 2012, where only light flyweight Mark Anthony Barriga qualified for the London Games. – Rappler.com