Muay bets: KO or bust

NAYPYITAW—Ranged against a hometown bet, muay warrior Philip Delarmino knows what it takes for him to achieve his golden dream in the 27th Southeast Asian Games.

“I have to knock him out,” said Delarmino, who advanced to the finals in the men’s 54 kg opposite Myanmar’s Saw Dar Pot.

Jonathan Polosan (men’s 63.5 kg) and Preciosa Ocaya (women’s 54 kg) share Delarmino’s frame of mind as they also set out to fight in the gold-medal round Saturday at Wunna Theikdi Sports Complex here.

“It’s a difficult task. We’ll do everything to prevent the match from ending in a decision,” said Polosan, a 24-year-old fighter from Cebu.

When the fight goes to the judges’ scorecards, the trio said imminent disaster is at hand.

Polosan faces Thailand’s Panupong Panjad and Ocaya takes on Phithsaya Phoumchanh of Laos.

“I’ll come out swinging as soon as the bell rings,” said Ocaya, who copped a bronze in the 2012 World Cup held in St. Petersburg, Russia along with Delarmino, nicknamed in mixed martial arts as the “Destroyer.”