Susuntok sa overall title ng SEAG ang Phl boxing team

May malaking tsansa ang Pilipinas na mapagwagian ang overall championship sa 30th Southeast Asian Games boxing competitions, pero para kay Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines Secretary-General Ed Picson patutunayan na lamang nila pagdating sa aktuwal na bakbakan kung ano ang maibubuga ng mga Pinoy bilang hosts ng SEAG boxing.

“We’re in a very good place, what with the hometown crowd behind us and our boxers peaking just in time,” saad ni Picson.

“Lahat naman ng boxers natin capable of winning, but a lot of factors have to be considered,” dagdag ng boxing official, na hindi muna nagpapakampante sa salitang ang PHL boxing team na masungkit ang lahat ng 13 gold medals na nakataya sa SEAG.

“I won’t stick my neck out and say anything close to that (sweep). You have to consider many things, like the luck of the draw or kapag natapat ka sa mga mabibigat,” ayon kay Picson.

Sasabak sa team ng PHL boxing sina World Championship at two-time SEA Games gold medalist Eumir Felix Marcial (middleweight, 75 kg), na sumungkit ng second ranking sa world sa naturang Championships na idinaos sa Ekaterinburg, Russia noong mid-September; at si John Tupas-Marvin (light heavyweight, 81 kg), na target ang ikalawang straight SEA Games gold.

Nakalinya ring para bumanat sina Carlo Paalam (light flyweight, 49 kg), Rogen Ladon (flyweight, 52 kg), Ian Clark Bautista (bantamweight, 56 kg), Charly Suarez (lightweight, 60 kg), James Palicte (light welterweight, 64 kg) at Joel Bacho (welterweight, 69 kg).

Sasabak para sa distaff side sina Josie Gabuco (light flyweight, 48 kg), Irish Magno (flyweight, 48 kg), Aira Villeas (bantamweight, 54 kg), Nesthy Petecio (featherweight, 57 kg) at Risa Pasuit (lightweight, 60 kg).