PHNOM PENH—Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio lead seven other boxers fighting for gold medals this weekend at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.
In the nine boxers’ fists partially lie the country’s chances of squeezing into a finish better than its current sixth position in the medal standings dominated by Vietnam, host Cambodia and Thailand.
Paalam and Petecio are staking their reputations as silver medalists in the Tokyo Olympics.
For Paalam, he’s fighting as a bantamweight and not in flyweight where he finished second in Tokyo. Petecio, on the other hand, is looking for a fightback from his bronze finish last year in Hanoi.
“I prepared myself wisely, physically and mentally,” Paalam, of Cagayan de Oro City, told BusinessMirror. “So far, I’m ready.”
Paalam fights Aldoms Siguru and Petecio takes on Ratna Sari Devi, both from Indonesia, on Sunday.
Two-time SEA Games champion Rogen Ladon and Tokyo Olympian Irish Magno, climb the ring Saturday at the Chroy Changvar Center Hall G.
Ladon, who won gold medals in the 2019 Philippine and 2022 Vietnam Games, starts the country’s bid for a golden rush at 4 p.m. when he fights Tharanat Saengphet of Thailand in men’s flyweight.
Magno is up against familiar foe Jutamas Jitpong of Thailand in women’s lightweight, having prevailed in the 2019 final back home. But the Thai beat her during the round-of-16 in Tokyo.
Also fighting Saturday are Ian Clark Bautista, who is also hoping to become a three-time SEA Games medalist, and Riza Pasuit, who battles Vietnamese Thi Linh Ha in the women’s lightweight finals.
“I really have to give my all tomorrow [Saturday] to bring home the gold,” said Bautista, 28, of Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, who is up against Indonesian Asri Udin in men’s featherweight.
Also fighting Sunday are Paul Julyfer Bascon, Filipino-British John Marvin and Petecio’s younger brother, Norlan.
Bascon takes on Rujakran Juntrong of Thailand in men’s light welterweight while Norlan, 21, takes on another Thai, Bunjong Sinsiri, in men’s lightweight.
Marvin, the 2017 SEA Games gold medalist, faces Weerapon Jongjoho of Thailand in men’s light heavyweight finals.
Of the 12 Pinoy boxers here, only light flyweight Mark Lester Durens and welterweight James Palicte will return home without a medal.
Markus Cezar Tongco, who lost to Manh Cuong Nguyen of Vietnam in the men’s heavyweight semifinals, bagged a bronze medal.
With nine finalists, the boxing team looks very capable of surpassing the country’s three-gold, one-silver and five-bronze medal finish last year in Vietnam.