Ian Clark Bautista delivers’ Philippines first gold in boxing. –JUNE NAVARRO
PHNOM PENH—Ian Clark Bautista fought a tactical battle against Asri Udin of Indonesia and unanimously prevailed to clinch the men’s featherweight title at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.
Bautista saw the opening right in the first round and pressed on the attack to quickly seize the advantage after two rounds.
Udin was an easy target for the much-faster Bautista, who just bobbed and weaved out of harm’s way in the final round to secure the country’s first gold medal in men’s boxing.
Bautista, the 2021 champion in Hanoi in the same weight class, eased the pain of Rogen Ladon’s earlier setback at the hands of Thailand’s Thanarat Saengphet for the flyweight title fight.
Ladon beat Saengphet to the draw in the first round, hitting his opponent twice in the face and sneaking a left to the head to the amusement of the crowd at the Chroy Changvar Convention Hall.
But Saengphet came out throwing more punches that connected and was the more aggressive pugilist over the next two rounds to seize the crown from the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympian.
Ladon first won the title in the 2019 SEA Games held in Manila before repeating the act last year in the Hanoi Games.