PHUKET, Thailand — Nasikwat nina Filipino boxers Rogen Ladon, Riza Pasuit at Hergie Bacyadan ang gold medals upang pangunahan ang matagumpay na kampanya ng Pilipinas sa 2022 Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament nitong Sabado sa Angsana Laguna Phuket Resort Hotel dito.
Naitala ni reigning Southeast Asian Games flyweight king Ladon ang 3-2 split decision upset kontra defending Asian Games titlist at 2019 AIBA World Championships silver winner Amit Panghal ng India.
Si Ladon, isang Rio Olympics veteran, ay nakakuha ng mga puntos sa unang dalawang rounds bago nalusutan ang late flurry ni Amit sa final round.
Kasunod nito, nakontrol ni SEA Games 2019 silver medal finisher Pasuit ang bakbakan mula sa umpisa hanggang katapusan laban kay Alessia Mesiano ng Italy para madominahan ang women’s lightweight division.
“I’m very happy. I expected the experience from Rogen to come out today. As for Riza, she is a very good counter-puncher and a great boxer moving forward,” pahayag ni Philippine boxing team head coach Don Abnett, na sinamahan nina coaches Roel Velasco, Ronald Chavez, Reynaldo Galido at Mitchel Martinez.
Sinelyuhan ni Bacyadan, isang wushu athlete-turned-boxer, ang matagumpay na kampanya ng national boxing squad sa pamamagitan ng isa pang gold makaraang madominahan si Tran Thi Oanh Nhi, 5-0, sa women’s middleweight category.
Bukod sa medalya, sina Ladon, Pasuit at Bacyadan ay nag-uwi rin ng tig-$2,000 bilang top finishers sa torneo na inorganisa ng Thailand Boxing Association sa pamumuno ng presidente nito at concurrent Asian Boxing Federation president Pichai Chunhavajira.
Samantala, nagkasya sina Ian Clark Bautista (men’s featherweight) at Aira Villegas (women’s flyweight) sa silver makaraang yumuko kontra higher-ranked opponents Serik Termizhanov ng Kazakhstan at Nguyen Thi Tam ng Vietnam, ayon sa pagkakasunod.r
Sa 3 golds at 2 silvers ay nahigitan na ng PH boxing team ang medal haul nito sa 2019 edition (1 gold, 1 bronze) at 2018 iteration (1-1-2 gold-silver-bronze) nang kunin nito ang overall championship kasama ang host nation.
“I think we’ve exceeded our expectations because as you know, our boxers have come from a long period of inactivity. We’re happy with where we are right now,” wika ni Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) president Ed Picson, na pinangunahan ang Philippine delegation, kasama si secretary-general Marcus Manalo.
