VIENTIANE, Laos – Young Charly Suarez, the most promising boxer to emerge from the junior pool, and Bill Vicera gave the Philippines its proud moments in the Southeast Asian Games with scintillating victories capping the men’s and women’s stints in the boxing competitions at the National University yesterday.
Suarez, the only Filipino to deny a Thai entry to the finals, decked Cambodian Phal Sophat with a right-hook to win by knockout in the second round after leading, 4-0, in the featherweight (57kg) class.
Vicera outpointed Laotian Sikham Vonpakhoun with an effective tactical game to win the gold in the pinweight (45kg) division with a 6-3 victory in front of stunned hometown fans.
Attacking the Cambodian with the same ferocity that knocked out a Timor Leste bet and ousted a tough Thai in the preliminaries, Suarez pummeled his opponent at will in the first and second round to win by another referee-stopped contest (RSC-knockout).
“I’m very impressed. The people of Panabo City (Davao) should be happy today,” said boxing association president Ricky Vargas who immediately called up boxing patron and PLDT and Smart president Manny V. Pangilinan to inform him of the two-gold win of the men’s team.
It was a bigger-than-life triumph for the 21-year-old boxer picked from the junior ranks who won the gold in his very first SEA Games participation.
The win capped his amazing pre-final campaign where he knocked out a Timor Leste bet in the second round after leading 12-0 on the judges’ card, and dismissed Wittichai Masuk (8-2) , the only Thai who failed to advance to the finals.
“He’s a hard worker. We helped him maintain his weight at 57 kg, that’s why he’s very comfortable fighting at this weight,” said national coach Boy Velasco.
Vicera backpedalled every time the Laotian went for a jab or straight and came in for counterattack to score the needed points that silenced a roaring crowd of drum-beating, loud-cheering, horn-tooting Laotian fans.
“I got the best training I could ever wish for to win in the SEA Games and I thank the boxing association and my coaches who made it possible,” said Vicera in Filipino, referring to coaches Pat Gaspi, Ronald Chavez and Velasco.
Vicera and Suarez each earned P300,000 from the boxing association headed by Vargas, secretary-general Pato Gregorio, vice president Manny Lopez and executive director Ed Picson who were here to provide morale support to the men’s and women’s teams.
The award is on top of the P300,000 from the Philippine Sports Commission’s incentive for every gold medal in the Games.
“Filipinos are proud of your achievements,” said PSC chairman Harry Angping in a text message.
“I really have no idea what I’ll do with the money. I’ll think about it when I receive it. In the meantime, I would like to enjoy this great moment in my career,” said Vicera.
The 25-year-old from Bago City may yet be the last gold medalist of the pinweight division following announcement of the international boxing federation (AIBA) to scrap the event in the biennial meet and the Asian Games since the event is not in the Olympic calendar.
The age factor took its toll on Harry Tañamor, 31, as he absorbed a 3-1 setback at the hands of 29-year-old Kaeo Pongprayoon of Thailand and settled for the silver in the light flyweight (48kg) division.
Tañamor, a two-time Olympian, went into an attack mode from the start, but the Thai , who climbed from the pinweight division this year, used a double cover to dodge Tañamor’s 1-2 combinations.
The Thai, who had defeated Vicera as a pinweight and another Filipino Gerson Nietes in the King’s Cup in Thailand last April, himself connected with two solid blows as they slugged it out near the rope to eke out the close win.
“Harry should not have struck hard when the Thai covered his face with both gloves - just hit lightly to force him to open up - then go for the hard punches,” said Velasco.
“The Thai is just too short, his face is well covered it’s difficult for Harry to get his punches in,” he added.
By the third round, Tañamor just felt exhausted attempting a barrage of shots while the Thai, knowing he was leading, simply put in a defensive stance to prevent the Filipino from scoring.
The boxing team finished with five gold medals counting the three from the women’s team of Alice Kate Apparri (light flyweight), Josie Gabuco (pinweight) and Annie Albania and one silver on top of bronze medals earlier won by Micthel Martinez (featherweight), Rey Saludar (flyweight) and Joan Tipon (bantamweight).
The 5-1-3 gold-silver-bronze medals placed the Philippines at second overall behind Thailand (7-0-3). Malaysia was third with 2-0-1 and Laos fourth with 1-4-5.