Joan Tipon advances to round-of-32 after scoring an easy win over a Sri Lankan rival.

MILAN, Italy — Bantamweight Joan Tipon won on points over a raw Sri Lankan but lightweight Joegin Ladon expectedly fell at the hands of a superior Briton as Team Philippines split its assignments on Wednesday in the 15th AIBA World boxing championships here.

The 27-year-old Tipon beat former sparring partner Kamai Gamathiralalage, 8-3, needing a third round explosion to clinch the win and advance to the round-of-32 where a tough Abdelhaim Ouradi of Bulgaria is waiting.

But the Filipinos missed keeping their record intact when Ladon proved to be an easy target for the much-taller Thomas Stalker of England and took a 4-11 beating to become the first casualty for the five-member RP squad.

A former Asian Games champion who once thought of hanging up his gloves after his career went to a tailspin, Tipon connected with one good punch after another in the third round to turn what had started a close contest into a blowout.

“Malaki ang ginaling,” said Tipon of the Sri Lankan, whom he sparred with several times during a training camp in Baguio City as they prepared for the 2007 world championship in Chicago which also served as a Beijing Olympics qualifier.