Ogayre nips Mongolian foe to advance in Asian Games boxing

Davao’s pride Junmilardo Ogayre boosted Team Philippines’ Asian Games boxing campaign after advancing to the Round of 16 in the men’s 60-kilogram weight class on Sept. 23, 2026, at Nishio Gymnasium in Japan.

The 27-year-old pug survived a tough challenge from Mongolia’s Lundaa Gantumur, scoring a 3-2 split-decision victory, and followed in the footsteps of Norlan Petecio, who delivered the first boxing win for the Philippine delegation on Sept. 21.

It was one of the closest Asian Games preliminary-round showdowns in any weight class, but Ogayre’s lead in the first two rounds proved enough to fend off Gantumur’s late rally in the third.

Gantumur showed a one-dimensional fighting style in the clash, applying pressure by moving forward and giving Ogayre limited space to work on his offense.

However, the Filipino boxer flaunted his efficient counterpunching and defense, which neutralized the Mongolian’s raw aggression.

Every time Gantumur pinned Ogayre against the ropes, the clever Filipino used his head movement to evade danger and tallied points with a series of clinical left-hook counters.

Aside from his counterpunching, Ogayre also jabbed his way out of dangerous situations in the second round, especially when Gantumur tried to bully him against the ropes.

A simple pivot helped Ogayre catch Gantumur off balance while repositioning himself in the middle of the canvas to maintain distance.

However, all hell broke loose in the third round after Gantumur tagged Ogayre with a vicious right hand, forcing the referee to issue a standing eight-count on the Filipino.

Despite losing the third round, Ogayre’s 2-0 lead on the initial scorecards propelled him to the win, with three judges scoring the bout in his favor.

Ogayre will look to sustain his momentum in the Round of 16 against Nepal’s Roka Magar, who earlier dominated Macau’s Alvin John Reyes Salinas, 5-0.