PH boxing team takes home 4 gold medals at SEA Games

OLYMPIANS Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio led the Philippine Boxing Team to a fourgold medal finish in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games at the Choy Changvar Convention Centre in Phnom Penh, Cambodia last Sunday, May 14, 2023.

Paul Bascon and Ian Clark Bautista joined Paalam and Petecio on the gold medal podium.

Paalam totally outclassed Indonesia’s Aldoms Suguro by a one-sided unanimous decision in the Men’s bantamweight finals. All five judges scored 30-27 for Paalam.

Petecio also dominated Indonesian Ratna Sari Devi by unanimous decision in the Women’s featherweight finals. All five judges also saw Petecio winning all three rounds with 30-27 scores.

Paalam and Petecio are both Olympic silver medalists from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Bascon, on the other hand, edged out Thai Rajukran Juntrong from a 3-1 decision in the Men’s lightweight finals. Three judges had identical 29-27 scores for Bascon; one judge had it 29-27 for Juntron, while another judge scored it 28-28.

Bautista totally outclassed Indoesian Asri Udin in the Men’s featherweight finals. He won with lopsided scores of 30-26, 30-27, 30-27, 30-26 and 30-26.

The Philippines also had five silver medals from veteran Rogen Ladon, Norlan Petecio, John Marvin, Irish Magno and Raiza Pasuit.

Ladon lost to Thai Thanarat Saengphet by unanimous decision in the Men’s flyweight finals. Petecio bowed down to Thai Bunjong Sinsiri by unanimous decision in the Men’s welterweight finals. Marvin lost to Weerapon Jongjoho by unanimous decision in the Men’s light heavyweight finals. Magno was defeated by Thai Jutamas Jitpong by unanimous decision in the Women’s bantamweight finals and Pasuit lost to Vietnamese Thi Linh Ha by unanimous decision in the Women’s light welterweight finals.

The Philippines also had a bronze medal from heavyweight Markus Tongco for a total of 10 medals in boxing.