FILE–Philippines’ Riza Pasuit (blue). –SHERWIN VARDELEON
PHNOM PENH—Vietnam’s Thi Linh Ha used her length to the hilt and prevailed over a stubbornly intrusive Riza Pasuit at the boxing competitions of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.
Gifted with a longer reach, Ha efficiently parried Pasuit’s blows and survived the volume-punching Filipino to claim the gold medal in the women’s light welterweight division at the Chroy Changvar Convention Hall here.
Pasuit tried to find all night long a lucky punch that never after the Vietnamese pugilist got ahead in the judges’ scorecards after two rounds.
Pasuit’s silver was the third for the national boxing team after Rogen Ladon and Irish Magno dropped their finals’ matches.
Only Ian Clark Bautista was able to seize a gold in the men’s featherweight on Saturday.
Five more Filipino boxers will climb atop the ring on Sunday with Olympic silver medalists Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam the brightest hopes for a victory.