If the Thais feature reigning world and Asian champion Somjit Jongjohor, Athens silver medalist Worapoj Petchkoom and two other defending SEAG champions in Kaoe Pongpravoon and Pichai Sayota, the Philippines presents a squad to be led by this province’s "Magnificent Seven" all determined to put up a brave front while fighting before their kababayans.
The seven Negros pugs are finweight Juanito Magliquian Jr. and bantamweight Joan Tipon from Talisay, featherweight Joegin Ladon, welterweight Mark Jason Melligen and female lightweight Mitchel Martinez from Bacolod, flyweight Warlito Parrenas from Cadiz and middleweight Reynaldo Galido from Bago.
"I’m sure they would go all out. Of course, they wouldn’t want beaten before their provincemates," said RP team head coach Pat Gaspi in Filipino.
Also in the team out to duplicate its overall championship in Manila in 1991 are light flyweight Harry Tañamor, lightweight Genebert Basadre, light welterweight Romeo Brin and other female bets Alice Kate Aparri, Analiza Cruz, Annie Albania and Jouvilet Chilem.
Gaspi said they didn’t set a goal in terms of the number of gold medals to be won but they are definitely targeting the overall crown.
"Evenn if we may not match our eight-gold output in 199, our target is always to be a gold ahead of Thailad. If they wiun five golds, we must win six,"said Gaspi. Gaspi and his coaching staff are hopeful a new approach in training, a number of international tournaments and a week-long seminar under Cuban boxing guru Dr. Alsede Sagarra would serve the team in good stead during the tournament.
Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines secretary-general Rogelio Fortaleza said they put premium on endurance, tactics and footwork in preparing the RP fighters this time.
"We thought these were the weaknesses of our teams in the previous games. So we focused on these things," said Fortaleza.
The RP fighters geared up for the SEA Games by taking on crack European teams in three "Go-for-Gold" events put up by the ABAP in Baguio early this month. The European teams, that included fighters from Germany, Italy and France, made a stopover in the Philippines before proceeding to China for the recent world championships.
Five days before the start of the SEAG boxing competitions, the RP boxers were still camped inside the sprawling La Salle-Bacolod campus. They’re having their morning workouts at the school field and their afternoon sessions in Talisay.
They made all their training and preparations under local coaches since officials failed to negotiate a new deal with Cuban coach Raul Liranza. Liranza was among the coaches that guided the Cuban team in the recent China world joust.