The Philippine boxing delegation is bringing home four gold medals from Cambodia.
The Philippine boxing team have certainly achieved one goal they’ve set for the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Cambodia: to improve on their medal haul from the previous edition of the meet in Vietnam.
In Hanoi, they won three gold, one silver, and four bronze medals. This year in Phnom Penh, the Filipino boxers have a total of four golds, five silvers, and one bronze.
Nine boxers made it to the finals of their respective boxing events, and while the weekend did not provide the gold rush that fans had hoped for, seeing 10 of 12 boxers with a podium finish is certainly a milestone for the country's boxing federation.
Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Nesthy Petecio, who won her second SEA Games gold against Ratna Sari Devi of Indonesia on Sunday via unanimous decision in the women’s 57 kg category, shares the stage with her brother, Norlan. The younger Petecio also won himself a medal, a silver in the 67 kg category, after a victory against Thailand’s Bunjong Sinsiri.
Another Olympics silver finisher, Carlo Paalam, clinched his second gold medal on Sunday. He outlasted Indonesia’s Aldoms Suguro in the 54 kg final through a unanimous decision.
Paul Bascon copped the day’s third gold after surpassing Thailand’s Rujakaran Juntrong via split decision in the 60 kg division.
John Marvin competed in the 80 kg men’s final against Weerapon Jongjoho of Thailand, but he settled for silver after all judges ruled in favor of the Thai pugilist.
Ian Clark Bautista nabbed the boxing squad's first gold on Saturday in the men's 57 kg division.