Pinoy pugs make rousing start with two KO victories

HO CHI MIHN (Via Globe Telecom)–Stirring knockout victories by lightflyweight Juanito Magliquian and heavyweight Chris Camat set in motion Wednesday night the Philippine boxing team’s ambitious quest to regain top honors in the 22nd Southeast Asian Games here.

Magliquian sent Brunei’s Mohd Ali Dzulfikri Hj Mohd Taib twice to the canvas and scored a first-round stoppage that impressed the big crowd at the Phan Dinh Phung Stadium.

Camat duplicated the feat of Magliquian later on, halting hometown bet Bui Phu Sau in the second round as Team Philippines got off to a swashbuckling start in the sport dominated of late by Thailand.

"Magandang sinyales ito para sa kampanya naman dito. Sana magtuloy-tuloy," said RP team coach Nolito "Boy" Velasco on Magliquian’s and Camat’s victories assuring the team of two bronze medals.

Magliquian and Camat hardly took a sweat in their fights, forcing their coaches to order them to work on the punch mitts and the punching bag in a nearby gym later

"Bitin yun laban, kaya dapat ikundisyon sa mahabang laban," said coach Pat Gaspi.

Three Filipino fighters were determined to sustain the momentum provided by Magliquian and Camat as Violito Payla (51kg), Florencio Ferrer (60kg) and Francis Joven (69kg) were to climb the ring last night.

A straight right and a right upper cut did the job for Magliquian as the pint-sized but stocky fighter from Talisay, Negros Occidental cut down to size his tall but reed-thin rival to advance to the semifinals against Vietnamese Le Van Tri.

"Naramdaman ko umpisa pa lang walang itatagal. Kaya pinilit kong kunin ng maaga," said Magliquian.

The Seaman Second Class, who has won a gold (Brunei), a silver (Chang Mai) and a bronze (Kuala Lumpur) in his first four stints in this biennial meet, said he intends to do the same thing on his Vietnamese foe in the semis to avoid suffering a hometown decision.

The known practice of boxing judges favoring hometown bets reared its ugly head in Le Van Tri’s victory over Cambodia’s Ven Dyaman. The Vietnamese himself was surprised when he was adjudged the winner via a Referee Stopped Contest-Compulsory Count Limit before the fourth round.

"Kaya si Magliquian, dapat huag magpatama kahit sa kamay. Dapat pasuntukin niya yung Vietnamese sa hangin," said coach Pat Gaspi.

Also ranged against Vietnamese, Camat made sure he didn’t suffer the same fate as Dyaman, forcing Phung to retire in the second round.

Camat blasted Phung with rock-solid left straights, two of which prompting the Indonesian referee to give the hapless Vietnamese standing eight-count.

The Fil-Am Filipino heavyweight actually sent Phung down on his knees as early as in the first round but the referee ruled it a slip.

Camat will be next up against Thai reigning champion Somchai Chimlum.