Pugs go 3-0; Archer averts PH shutout

KUALA LUMPUR—Three defending boxing champions won their opening matches while a 15-year-old archer prevented a medal shutout to salvage another slow Philippine day in the 29th Southeast Asian Games here.

Ian Clark Bautista, Mario Fernandez and Eumir Felix Marcial stormed the next round with impressive victories as the country went perfect in the medal-rich event.

Nicole Marie Tagle, 15, settled for silver after losing to Indonesian top seed Diananda Choidunis in women’s individual recurve at KL Sports City.

The country now stands on seventh place with one gold, two silvers and two bronzes, while host Malaysia started to pull away with 14 golds.

Fernandez slammed a right uppercut to the head of Maung Nge of Myanmar in the bantamweight (56 kg) division, staggering his opponent who was counted out.

“He was strong and with a hard body,” said Fernandez in Filipino, of his opponent whom he described as bara-bara (wayward).”

Along with Marcial, Bautista and Fernandez are assured of spots in the semifinals of the flyweight (52 kg) and middleweight (75 kg) divisions, respectively.

Bautista made sure he won’t fall victim to a hometown decision by beating up Malaysian Abdul Salam Kasim, silencing the boisterous gallery at Hall 8 of Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre.

Elsewhere, there were countless tales of heartaches.

The defending champions Volcanoes lost steam in men’s rugby 7s, bowing out of the medal rounds after dropping shocking losses to Singapore and Thailand.

Relegated to the battle for third place, the Volcanoes even lost to Thailand, 26-7.
The women’s side, bronze winner in the 2015 meet, will also go home empty-handed.

Wushu likewise failed to deliver when Daniel Parantac lost his events taijijian and taijiquan.

Bowling, slowly trying to get back on its feet after being in a tailspin for years, failed to score in the singles events.

The same thing happened in synchronized swimming, water polo, archery and table tennis.

In women’s volleyball which begin Monday, Dawn Macandili has replaced Denden Lazaro.

Lazaro has been nursing a hamstring injury since the team’s exhibition matches prior to the Asian Championship held in Biñan, Laguna where it finished eighth.

But the Philippines can count on a better nightcap as the Gilas Cadets squad was set to debut against Thailand late Sunday at MABA Stadium.