Athens heroes to head Thai pugs

Opting to give more weight on the Southeast Asian Games than the World Championships, Thailand is sending its crack boxing squad to the Manila SEA Games next month, raring to re-stamp its class over its regional rivals and spoil the hosts’ bid for the overall championship in the sport.

The Amateur Boxing Association of Thailand (ABAT), in a Bangkok Post report, yesterday disclosed the composition of its boxing team to the biennial event slated Nov. 27-Dec. 5 in Manila and three other satellite venues, headed by Athens Olympic light-welterweight champion Manus Boonjumnong, Olympic silver medal winner Worapoj Petchkoom and reigning World and Asian Games flyweight champion Somjit Jongjohor.

Also in the fold are Kaew Pongprayoon (pinweight), Suban Pannon (light-flyweight), Issarayuth Chantaraporn (bantamweight), Pichai Sayotha (lightweight), Apichet Sansit (light-welterweight) and Non Boonjumnong (middleweight).

Boonjumnong was actually not included in the original roster but ABAT president Gen. Taweep Jantararoj made a last-minute changes and put the Olympic champion in the SEAG-bound squad. However, Boonjumnong will fight in the welterweight class while his younger brother Non will move up to the middleweight category.

The decision to send a virtual Class A squad to the Manila games surprised many since with very few tough opponents in the SEA Games, observers noted that the Thais would dominate the event even with a Class B roster.

Instead, the ABAT decided to send a lesser-fancied squad to the world tilt set next month in China.

"It is surprising that the ABAT sees the SEA Games as more important than the World Championships," according to the Bangkok Post report. "Their SEA Games squad is virtually Thailand’s A side."