Organizers: PH lucky boxing wasn’t scrapped from KL meet

Just by looking at the medal tally in the boxing competition of the 2015 Southeast Asian Games in Singapore, it’s not difficult to discern why Malaysian organizers aren’t fond of the combat sport that most Filipinos love.

Out of the 11 weight divisions and 44 medals at stake in boxing, Malaysia was the only country which didn’t manage to pluck a single medal.

As a result, the 29th SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur on Aug. 19 to 31 has ditched women’s boxing and men’s weight classes lightweight (60kg) and welterweight (69kg)—categories that Filipinos usually dominate.

“Malaysian boxing officials told me that we should still feel good because the entire sport wasn’t scrapped,” said Ed Picson, executive director of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines.

Only six weight categories for men—light flyweight (49kg), flyweight (52kg), bantamweight (56kg), light welter (64kg), middleweight (75kg) and heavy (91kg)—have been booked for boxing, a perennial gold mine for the Philippines.

The country captured five boxing golds in Singapore.

Charly Suarez, the top bet in the lightweight division, won’t see action in KL unless the Rio de Janeiro Olympian moves up to the light welter class.

Without women’s boxing, light fly Josie Gabuco won’t be able to defend her title for the fourth straight time. Gabuco first won during the 2009 edition in Laos.