MANILA – Negrense boxers Ian Clark Bautista and Rogen Ladon punched their way to gold medal finishes in the 31st Southeast Asian Games’ men’s boxing on Sunday at the Bac Ninh Gymnasium in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Bautista, a native of Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, bucked a slow start to defeat Myanmar’s Naing Latt via a 5-0 unanimous decision win in the bantamweight division.
It was a fitting SEA Games gold medal win for the 27-year-old Bautista following a series of heartbreaks in 2017 and 2019. The Negrense captured his first SEA Games gold back in 2015.
On the other hand, Bago City, Negros Occidental native Ladon survived the challenge from hometown fighter Tran Van Thao, 3-2, to retain the SEA Games flyweight division gold medal.
Ilongga Irish Magno, meanwhile, settled for a silver medal finish in the women’s flyweight division following a close 3-2 loss to Vietnamese Nguyen Thi Tam in the finals.
The national boxing team finished their Games stint with three golds, including one from Tokyo Olympian Eumir Marcial, one silver, and three bronze medals from Neshy Petecio, Riza Pasuit and Josie Gabuco.
Ilonggo Phillip Delarmino, meanwhile, could not make it back-to-back in the men’s combat minus-57 kg muaythai final after a 1-2 defeat to hometown bet Nguyen Doan Long.
The result was also an upset of sorts, as Delarmino was the reigning World Champion in the said weight class after his win in December. The Ilonggo also defeated the Vietnamese for the gold in the 2019 SEA Games.
Bacolodnon cue master Johann Chua, meanwhile, was denied of his second gold medal in the 31st SEA Games after losing to fellow Filipino Carlo Biado in the 10-ball singles finals.
The 39-year-old Biado avenged his finals defeat to Chua in 9-ball singles with a 9-3 victory in the 10-ball finale on Saturday afternoon at the Ha Dong Gymnasium in Hanoi, Vietnam.
According to the Bacolod City native Chua, there is nothing personal between him and Biado as they were close friends and even shared a room during their stay in Hanoi.
“Nag-bibiruan nga kami ni Carlo before the finals. Sobra close kami niyan. Masaya na kasi kami kasi sure gold nga para sa Pilipinas,” the 29-year-old Chua said./PN
