"They’re ready and we’re all confident," said head coach Vicente Arsenal as the three finalists, along with the three other members of the team, were winding up their final practice Saturday afternoon at the carpeted third floor lobby of the Palace Hotel where they are billeted.
Juanito Magliquian, a veteran of four SEA Games, will shoot for the pinweight (45 kg) gold against the equally-tested Kaew Pongprayoon of Thailand 1. It will be the third meeting between the two boxers with the head count tied at 1-1, the Thai winning the last during the quarterfinals of the 2001 Kuala Lumpur SEAG.
"He’s a fighter, too. And this will definitely be an exciting match," said the 30-year-old Magliquian in Pilipino as he geared up for the final match which could serve as his ticket to the Vietnam SEA Games this December. He won the silver in Chiang Mai in 1995, the bronze in Jakarta in 1997 and the gold in Brunei in 1999.
The two other RP boxers vying for the gold in their first international stint are flyweight (51 kg) Glenn Gonzales and bantamweight (54 kg) Joan Tipon. They will go up against Nguyen Kien Cuong of Vietnam 1 and Deng Xue Long of China 1, respectively. The gold medal bouts in the six divisions will begin at 7 p.m.
The RP trip to this southern Vietnam city then called Saigon is bankrolled by the Philippine Sports Commission, Pacific Heights, Accell and Family Rubbing Alcohol. It is part of the selection process for the national team that will see action in the Vietnam SEAG and the 2004 Olympics qualifying tournament in Palawan in January.
Gonzales, an 18-year-old from North Cotabato, advanced to the finals with two abbreviated victories over Vietnam 2’s Nguyen Viet Linh and China 1’s Lei Wu Shui. Both fights were stopped by the referee in the third round, typifying Gonzales’ remarkable ability to finish off his opponents early.
Tipon, a 21-year-old from Talisay, Negros Occ., has created some noise here with convincing victories over Kongdech Vaitam of Thailand 1 and Sornchai Saraban of Thailand 2. But the flamboyant RP boxer will definitely have his hands full against the Chinese veteran of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Middleweight Maximo Tabangcora will also see action on the final day of competition against a Vietnamese boxer. Local organizers scrapped the division since there were only two entries but were reportedly deliberating as of Sunday afternoon if medals, the gold and the silver, will be on offer.
"We’re hoping for the best for all of you. Go for the gold," was the short text message relayed by RP amateur boxing chief Manny Lopez to team manager Ruben Roque, coaches Elmer Pamisa and Arsenal, and referee/judge Dante de Castro on the eve of the final bouts.