PH sends 7 boxers to gold-medal tiffs | Inquirer Sports

PH sends 7 boxers to gold-medal tiffs

By: - Reporter / @cedelfptINQ
/ 01:15 AM December 14, 2013

NAYPYITAW—The Philippine boxing team looked poised to surpass its previous four-gold haul after five more fighters, led by Olympian Mark Barriga, reached the finals Friday in the 27th Southeast Asian Games at Wunna Theikdi Stadium here.

Except for Rey Saludar’s surprise loss to a Burmese fighter in what was described by the PH delegation head as a hometown decision, the men’s team pulled through as expected, jacking up the number of Filipinos in Saturday’s finals to seven, two fewer than top rival Thailand’s nine.

ADVERTISEMENT

In a match that was more lopsided than what the judges’ scores indicated, Barriga beat Mohd Faud Mohd Reuvan of Malaysia by split decision, 30-27, 28-29, 30-27, to reach the light flyweight finals.

But a promising start took a twist when Saludar, the 2010 Asian Games flyweight gold medalist, lost to Mg Nge of Myanmar, 28-29, 27-30, 28-29, much to the chagrin of team officials.

FEATURED STORIES

“It was a hometown decision,” said Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines executive director Ed Picson.

The PH pugs quickly got back on track with bantamweight Mario Fernandez, lightweight Junel Cantancio, light welterweight Dennis Galvan and welterweight Wilfredo Lopez assuring the country of at least a silver just like featherweight Nesthy Petecio and light flyweight Josie Gabuco in the women’s category.

A relentless Fernandez crushed Tran Quoc Viet of Vietnam, 29-28, 30-27, 30-27, while Cantancio, showing guile and experience, prevailed over Muhamad Ridhawan Ahmad of Singapore, 29-28, 30-27, 30-27.

Galvan barely survived Ericok Amonupunyo of Indonesia, 29-28, 28-29, 29-28, while Lopez, using his reach to score heavily on counterpunches, recovered from a lethargic first round to frustrate Alex Tatantos of Indonesia, 29-28, 29-28, 28-29.

Cantancio, Fernandez and Galvan will be facing Thai foes in the finals, while Lopez and Petecio will duel Myanmar boxers. Barriga and Gabuco will be up against Indonesian foes.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

Read Next
Don't miss out on the latest news and information.

Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.

TAGS: 27th Southeast Asian Games, Boxing, Mark Barriga, Philippine boxing team
For feedback, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our sports news

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.



© Copyright 1997-2023 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. To find out more, please click this link.