By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Tokyo Olympics medalists Nesthy Petecio and Eumir Marcial banner the strong Philippine boxing team to the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam next month.
Petecio, who won the silver medal in the women’s featherweight division, will compete in the 60kg, while Marcial, a bronze medalist in the men’s middleweight, will be competing in the 75kg.
Also seeing action in the biennial meet are former world champion and multiple SEAG gold medalist Josie Gabuco (48kg), Tokyo Olympian Irish Magno ( 51kg), Riza Pasuit (57kg), and Hergie Bacyadan (75kg).
The men’s crew, meanwhile, will have 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medalist Rogen Ladon (52kg), Ian Clark Baustista (57kg), James Palicte (63kg) and Marjon Piañar (69kg).
The PH team hopes to dominate the biennial meet once again, but Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) Secretary-General Marcus Manalo politely declined to make any medal predictions.
“I think we put up a solid lineup with boxers who have very good chances to finish at the top of the podium,” Manalo said.
“We use a process-oriented approach so we don’t really set numeric goals like the number of medals or gold medals we’re going to win. But the team will be ready.”
The team leaves for Hanoi on May 13 where they will take a connecting flight from Bangkok, Thailand.
Competition starts on May 16 with final matches on May 22.
