SEA Games: Filipino boxers pick up easy wins in Day 1

Philippines’ Irish Magno, right, hits Singapore’s Leona Hui during their women’s fly weight (51kg) boxing match at the 30th South East Asian Games in Manila, Philippines on Wednesday Dec. 4, 2019. Magno won the match. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

MANILA, Philippines—Filipino boxers breezed through the first day of the boxing competition of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games Wednesday at PICC Forum.

Josie Gabuco, a three-time SEA Games gold medalist and the 2012 World Champion, dismantled Thailand’s Chutamat Raksat, 4-1, in the first bout of the women’s light flyweight division.

Gabuco, also the 2019 Asian Champion, was the lone boxer from the Philippine national team not to get a unanimous decision from all five judges with all the other Filipino pugilists completely dominating their respective opponents.

Aira Villegas hammered Laos’ Vilayphone Vongpachan, 5-0, in the women’s bantamweight Irish Magno did the same against Singapore’s Leona Hui Xin Yee in the women’s flyweight category.

Carlo Paalam, the bronze medalist in the 2017 SEA Games, displayed his form after struggling with his weight in the coming weeks to the event when he battered Laos’ Khamphouvanh Khamsathone, 5-0.

This was not the first time the Filipino boxers faced off against the Laotian national team as the two held sparring sessions a few weeks before the start of the regional games.