VIENTIANE – Charly Suarez pounded seasoned Thai boxer Wuttihai Masuk, 8-2, in what was billed as the division’s championship bout while Bill Vicera toyed with Cambodian Ven Diaman, 13-2, as they joined Harry Tañamor in the gold medal round of the boxing competitions of the 25th Southeast Asian Games yesterday.
Suarez survived four low blows, the last prompting the referee to give a standing 8-count, as he outpointed the Thai, who beat him in the quarterfinals of the King’s Cup last April.
Vicera remained on course to become the last of the SEA Games pinweight champions as he dominated his opponent in the first round,(4-1),and the second round (11-2) in securing the victory cheered by a handful of Filipino supporters and officials at the Booyoung boxing gymnasium of the National University.
The twin victories came in between setbacks to Laotians - one a well-deserved one, the other a controversial decision - in the other semifinal bouts of the Philippines.
Joegin Landon simply could not find his target and bowed to hometown hero Vilasak Khouandy, 8-2, in the lightwelterweight (64kg) division.
In a bout that involved questionable officiating, Rey Saludar led 4-1, in the first round of the flyweight (51kg) division but was scoreless in the next two rounds due to what Filipino officials said were referees’ lapses, giving the Filipino a 9-4 loss to Laotian Xayyaphone Chantasone.
“The officiating was not fair, but we will not protest,” said an irate boxing captain Ed PIcson.
“I did my best but there’s nothing we could do with the decision,” said Saludar.
Taking the cue from his coach, Nonito Velasco, Suarez did an attack-retreat-attack style as he piled up points against the Thai who beat him on home turf eight months ago.
“When my boxer stepped down the ring when he lost to Masuk last April, the Thai congratulated him. I think the Thai believed Charly will be tough to beat in the SEA Games,” said Velasco.
“We worked daily on a style that would counter the attack of the Thai. That was the key to victory,” he added.
Suarez will go up against Cambodian PhalSophat, who ousted Indonesian Urias Arenaldo Moniaga, 6-5, in the other semifinal bout.
But Vicera will be up against a boisterous crowd when he fights another Laotian, Sikham Vongpakhoun, who defeated Vietnamese Huynh Ngoc
Tan in a referee-stopped-contest due to injury after the score was tied at 4 at the end of the second round.
With three lady boxers in the finals, the boxing team will have six gold medal chances in the boxing title round starting today with the women’s gold medal round and ending tomorrow with the men’s finals.
Going for the gold today are Josie Gabuco against Vietnamese Nguyen Thi Hoa in the pinweight (46 kg) division, Alice Kate Aparri against Milvady of Laos in the light flyweight (48kg) and Annie Albania vs Indonesian Indri Sambaimana in the flyweight (51kg). – Gerry Carpio