BANGKOK – For these two young boxers, Rogen Ladon and Eumir Felix Marcial, there’s no bigger joy and no greater honor than fighting for flag and country.
Last Saturday afternoon, in this hot, humid Thai capital, Ladon, 21, and Marcial, 19, fought for the gold in the ASBC Asian Boxing Championships.
It’s the Asian Games of boxing.
Neither boxer managed to get past their top-seeded foes from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and left the ring with their faces battered and bruised.
They had silver medals hanging from their necks, and yet before leaving the Thammasat University they kept apologizing for their defeats.
Without being asked, Ladon came up and said he was sorry for the loss.
“Pasensiya na sir. Hindi natin nakuha (I’m sorry, sir. We did not get it),” he said, referring to the precious gold medal.
By dinner time, his right eye was half-closed and swollen, a result of his rough fight against Hasanboy Dusmatov in the light-flyweight finals.
Marcial carried the heavier damage, with swelling on both eyes as early as the quarterfinals a few days back.
In the finals, he faced 2014 Asian Games welterweight champion Daniyar Yeleussinov, also the gold medalist in the 2013 World Championships.
The Kazakh is a veteran of many fights, and at 24, is older, wiser, and won, 3-0.
But Marcial, a gold medalist in the 2011 World Junior Championship, gave his top-ranked rival, whom he considers his idol, a tough time.
He fought through pain, saying the slightest touch to his face hurt.
“Masakit na talaga (It really hurts). Ni hindi nga ako makapag-hilamos kaninang umaga (I couldn’t even wash my face this morning),” said Marcial.
Like Ladon, the humble boxer from Zamboanga felt bad for the loss.
“Sorry sir. Ginawa ko na lahat (I did everything possible). Para sa bansa eh (It’s for the country),” he told this reporter.
In the evening’s farewell party for the 200 boxers from 33 Asian nations, Marcial was in his old, jovial self, cracking jokes at the table, dancing to the music.
He was asked how he was doing.
“Okay na, sir. (I’m fine),” said Marcial.
Ladon, the quiet type, had fun just observing the party, with his teammates – flyweight Ian Clark Bautista, bantam Mario Fernandez and lightweight Charly Suarez.
Bautista, Fernandez and Suarez, all SEA Games champions, did not reach the medal rounds of the star-studded tournament.
Ladon and Marcial, meanwhile, qualified to the AIBA World Championships in Doha, Qatar on Oct. 5 to 15. It’s a qualifying tournament to the 2016 Rio Olympics.
They can only look forward for the bigger, tougher task ahead, again dying to represent the country in the international arena.
But for now, they’re still licking their wounds.
“Babawi tayo (We will bounce back),” said Ladon.
“Sorry talaga, sir,” said Marcial.
They gave their best, and yet they feel sorry.