3 Pinoy naka-gold sa Muay Thai, boxing

WARSAW, Poland – Nakopo nina Ian Clark Bautista at Nesthy Petecio ang gintong medalya para sa matikas na kampanya ng Philippine Team sa 2018 Feliks Stamm Boxing Tournament dito.

Ginapi ni Bautista, gold winner sa 2015 Southeast Asian Games sa Singapore, si Zarip Jumayev ng Turkmenistanm 5-0, sa finals ng men’s 52 kg. finals (flyweight).

“Lumaban noong first round, pero after two minutes lang nakuha na namin yung laro ng Russo,” sambit ni head coach Nolito ‘Boy’ Velasco.

Tinanghal si Bautista na ‘Best Boxer’ sa 146 fighters na sumagupa sa torneo -- men and women – mula sa 21 bansa sa torneo na itinataguyod bilang parangal kay seven-time Olympian Feliks Stamm, ang “Father of Polish boxing’.

Nakamit naman ni Petecio, silver medalist sa 2014 Aiba World Women’s Championship sa Jeju City, South Korea, ang kampeonato nang gapiin si Ornella Wahner ng Germany sa women’s 57 kg. class (bantamweight).

Sa kabuuan, naiuwi ng Philippine team ang dalawang ginto at dalawang bronze medal mula kina Junel Cantancio at Mario Bautista.

“I am extremely proud of our boxers who are hard at training for the Asian Games this year, next year’s SEA Games which we are hosting and all the way to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. After promising performances in the Indian Open and now in Warsaw, our long-term program is off to a good start,” pahayag ni boxing association president Ricky Vargas.