By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Three boxers assured themselves of at least a bronze medal after advancing to the semifinals in their respective divisions Sunday night, May 7, in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games at the Chroy Changvar Convention Center here.
Rogen Ladon, Ian Clark Bautista and Riza Pasuit thumped their respective quarterfinal rivals to advance, keeping their gold-medal hopes alive — not to mention the vow they made to the late boxing president Ed Picson.
Ladon whipped Indonesian Ingatan Ilahi via unanimous decision to book a semis seat in the men’s 51kg, Bautista clobbered Vietnamese Vian Duong Nguyen in a referee-stopped-contest in the men’s 57kg, and Pasuit won via split decision over Indonesian Huswatun Hasanah, 3-2, in the women’s 54kg.
Not so fortunate was James Palicte, who bowed to hometown betVen Ratha, 4-1, in the men’s 63.5kg quarters.
Ladon’s win arranged him a semis bout against Malaysian Muhammad Abdul Qaiyum Arrifin, who won via RSC over Cambodian Nov Sokty, while Bautisa set up a duel with Myanmar’s Naing Latt, who earned an opening round bye.
Pasuit, for her part, next faces Singapore’s Nur Sabrina Binte Mohd Faizal, who also had an opening round bye.
Four fighters are competing in the quarterfinals at press time with hopes of earning berths in the semis.
They are Mark Lester Durens in the men’s 48kg, Carlo Paalam in the 54kg, Paul Julyfer Bascon in the 60kg and Nesthy Petecio in the women’s 57kg.
Petecio said earlier they were dedicating all their fights to Picson who passed away last month.
