Pinay fighters deliver three of RP?s 7 gold medals in Day 7
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 17 Dec 2009
Filipina boxing sensation Annie Albania showed why she is the defending flyweight champion by stopping Indonesian Indri Sambaimana in the second round to successfully retain her title in the 15th Southeast Asian Games in Vientiane.
The 26-year-old native of Banga in South Cotabato, who just recently crowned herself as the queen of the 50-kilogram category in the Asian Indoor Games, had the hapless Sambaimana at her mercy forcing the Indonesian for mandatory eight counts thrice as she led a sweep of all final bouts involving Filipina fighters.
Pinweight Josie Gabuco and light-flyweight Alice Kate Aparri, not to be outdone, likewise, outclassed their respective opponents to complete a three-for-three Filipina title conquests.
The 22-year old Gabuco, a first-timer in the biennial conclave but already a winner of a bronze medal in the 2008 World Women?s Boxing Championships in China, set off the team?s campaign on a high note, engaging Nguyen Thi Hoa of Vietnam in a virtual brawl in the final of the 46 kg. class and emerging out triumphant, 6-5.
?Para po sa bayan natin ito,? said Gabuco, who was reduced to tears shortly after winning the hardly-fought match and just when the national anthem was about to be played. ?Masayang-masaya po ako na manalo ng unang gold dito sa SEA Games.?
Aparri, who like Albania is a veteran SEA Games campaigner being a silver medalist in 2007, didn?t disappoint either.
Also a bronze medal winner in the World Boxing Championships (2008 India), Aparri, 25, outclassed and bloodied local bet Milvady, 15-4, to rule the 48 kg. division.
The three Filipina fighters? domination actually ignited another 6-gold surge for the day when a shooter, a field eventer and a wushu artist, likewise, etching their names in the medal winners? scroll.
Asian Championship long jump queen Maristela Torres, the only Filipino athlete to perhaps approximate the status of legendary athletics star and once Asia?s fastest woman, Lydia de Vega, rewrote the 20-year-old Games record posted by yet another Filipina?Elma Muros?significantly on the SEAG?s 50th anniversary.
Still in her prime at 28 and looking forward to receive the accolade she truly deserves, Torres was simply untouchable with her 6.68-meter performance on her fourth of sixth attempt that improved the 6.52 of Muros accomplished during the 40th SEAG in Kuala Lumpur in 1989.
Veteran Nathaniel ?Tac? Padilla dug deep in his pocket of experience to rule the 25m rapid fire pistol scoring 753.20 to snare the team?s first gold at the expense of Kasli Izwan of Malaysia after one week of action and embarrassing results in more than ten events in which they entered.
John Baylon, already 44, took his ninth straight judo gold by topping the 81kg-and-under division.
Sanshou entry Mariane Mariano (56 kgs) took a while to heat up but the 2008 Asian Cup bronze medal winner eventually dominated Nguyan Thi Oanh of Vietnam to nail wushu?s first after a three-fight shutout on Wednesday that affected the RP drive.
Thailand, concededly the strongest, has already gathered 56 gold medals, while Vietnam had 53, Singapore 32 and Indonesia had overtaken Malaysia with 30.
The Malaysians and the Filipinos were dead even in gold medals at 29, seven more than host Laos. Myanmar has nine, Cambodia 2 and Brunei 1 while Timor Leste has no gold or silver medal to show but has three bronze.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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