Lerio, Zambales settle for silver

KUALA LUMPUR (Via Globe Telecoms) — The Philippine boxing team, for a long time the country’s biggest toast in the international battlefield, turned to be a big disappointment this time as it failed to deliver even a single gold medal at the close of the 21st Southeast Asian Games slugfest at the Serimban Center Court yesterday.

Bantamweight Arlan Lerio and featherweight Ramil Zambales, the last men standing in the 11-man RP team, also fell in defeat in the end, bidding goodbye to the precious mints that could have saved the squad from the big embarrassment here and at home.

Lerio and Zambales fell easy prey to their Thai rivals, settling for silver medals which proved to be the best the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines could produce here despite several international exposures for its fighters.

From second place overall in Brunei, the Philippines dropped three rungs down to fourth while also winning five bronzes early on courtesy of flyweight Violito Payla, lightweight Larry Semillano, lightwelterweight Romeo Brin, welterweight Reynaldo Galido and middleweight Maximino Tabangcora.

At press time, the Thai boxing team, ranked No. 5 in the world, looked headed to defending the overall championship for the fifth time since ruling the 1993 Singapore SEAG joust. Indonesia won one gold through Bonyx Yusak Saweho in the pinweight division while the Malaysians were expected to get their share of golds later in the night.

Chotipat Wongprates, a veteran of the world championship in Houston, Texas last year, stamped his class against Lerio, pounding out a 19-9 victory. Samaksaman Sutthisak was much impressive as he stopped Zambales in the third round by inflicting the Filipino a deep cut on the right eyelid.

"I know a lot will be surprised with our showing here because in bigger, tougher competitions, we can win medals. In the Olympics and world championship where 80 nations are competing, we’ve been delivering. Samantalang dito eight countries lang hindi tayo nakapag-gold," said ABAP president Manny Lopez. — Nelson Beltran