Filipino Muay boxers capture silver, bronze

Filipinos Roland Claro and Brent Velasco stood their ground against their respective rivals and came away with silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the recent Amateur Muaythai World Championships of the World Muaythai Federation at Gymnasium of Thammasat University Rangsit Campus in Patumthanee, Thailand.

Claro, the 25-year-old bet from Zamboanga City, bowed to a superior rival in Blizneu Alyaxey of Belarus in their three-round final in the 48-kg category but gained a lot of experience which he hoped to boost his bid for a SEA Games stint late this year.

"The experience I got from this championship will help me prepare for the Muay National Selections in June and hopefully for the SEA Games in November 2005," said Claro.

The Russian and Moroccan bets took third place honors in the lightfly division of the eight-day tournament which drew 36 countries.

The 23-year-old Velasco, on the other hand, beat a bigger Huseyin Dundar of Turkey to share third place with Thai fighter Rachain Pliensribua in the 54-kg class ruled by Turkey with Belarus copping the silver medal.

The Pinoy bets’ stint were sponsored by the Muay Association of the Philippines (MAP), the Philippine Sports Commission and San Miguel Corp.