SINGAPORE—Boxing officials believe the Philippines can win all 10 events they are entered in the Southeast Asian Games competitions that will formally begin today at Singapore Expo Hall here.
Alliance of Boxing Associations in the Philippines executive director Ed Picson told the Inquirer that every single one in the six-man, four-women squad is capable of bringing home the bacon.
Starting at 2 p.m., preliminaries will be held in women’s light flyweight, women’s flyweight, women’s bantamweight, women’s featherweight, men’s light fly, men’s fly, men’s bantam, men’s lightweight and men’s middleweight.
“Is it possible? Yes. Is it probable? Maybe not. Winning 10 golds may be hard, but the possibility is there,” said Picson Thursday night as he waited anxiously for the team to arrive from practice after their transportation was delayed for two hours.
“They are already hungry,” said Picson referring to the boxers who have to be in bed by 9 p.m. with their gadgets surrendered. It was way past 8 p.m., then when they were scheduled to be back by 7 p.m.
Picson said the boxers are adapting well to the new boxing rule of 10-point must system which put emphasis on “domination, power and aggressiveness” over the old volume punches.
He said it’s more suitable to the Filipino boxers because “lahat sila idol si Manny (Pacquiao).” Picson downplayed the dominance Thailand has been showing in the SEA Games, including the 2013 edition where the Thais bagged seven golds.
He said all 10 Filipino boxers in the 2013 Burma SEA Games won medals, including three golds and four silvers. Two of the silvers, he said, were close matches won by the host country.