SUAREZ, GALVAN GO FOR GOLD IN BOXING
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 21 Nov 2011
Charly Suarez.
Multi-titled lightweight Charly Suarez and light-welterweight Dennis Galvan go for gold in the boxing finals of the 26th Southeast Asian Games at the Kamous Indoor Basket Hall in Palembang on Monday.
However, both fighters hardly know anything about their opponents except that the two Indonesians they face will have the huge crowd on their side and a built-in hometown advantage.
The two Filipino boxers have decided on a simple strategy that has worked well for them so far.
As they said on the eve of their gold medal bouts "Gagawin namin ang lahat para sa bayan/ We will do everything possible for the country,"
The organizers, as they have done several times during the games, suddenly decided to start the bouts at 9 p.m. which will be 10 p.m. in Manila.
Powerhouse Thailand, the Philippines perennial opponents for gold has five finalists in the nine-event finals and Vietnam has four while the Philippines has only two male fighters standing among the six who competed in the games while two of our female boxers won gold with one silver and one bronze among four competitors.
Suarez is taking on Matius Mandiangan in the 60kg category and Galvan tangles with Afdan Bachtila, also of Indonesia.
Suarez had a tough time fighting his way into the finals. He needed to win two bouts, including an 11-9 squeaker over Thailand's Ardee Saylom Saturday, before clinching a finals berth.
Galvan had a relatively smoother path and more time on his hands after the luck of the draw pushed him straight to the semis where he demolished Azmi Khirakyazlan of Malaysia, 12-1, last Thursday.
Head coach Pat Gaspi has stressed the need to follow the style of female champions , pinweight Josie Gabuco and light-fly Alice Kate Aparri who overwhelmed their opponents in Saturday's womens finals to keep the gold in their respective categories.
Gaspi told both fighters they couldn't afford to land pitter-patter punches that may allow the referee and judges to enter the picture. If you cannot knock out your opponents you must win convincingly.
Gaspi told Suarez and Galvan "Hindi puwedeng pa-pitik-pitik lang dahil baka pumasok ang referees at judges sa picture," said Gaspi. "Kaya kung hindi puwedeng i-knock out, kailangang very convincing ang mga panalo."
The two aim to do just that, especially Suarez who won the same division two years ago in Laos.
"Basta magtiwala sa tulong ng Poong Maykapal, ibigay ang best, dalhin pati ang mga natutunan mula pa sa training, walang imposible," said the Davao City native.
Having watched Bachtila win via points in his semis fight against Cambodian Svay Ratha also gave Galvan, a SEAG first-timer, some idea of Bachtila.
"Medyo matibay-tibay ang kalaban pero mataas ang kompiyansa natin dahil nakita naming sugod lang siya ng sugod," said the Bago City fighter who turns 20 on Nov. 27.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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