Bautista bags 1st boxing gold for PH, Ladon falls short of 3-peat bid

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – Two champions, two contrasting results.

Ian Clark Bautista bagged the Philippines’ first boxing gold in the Southeast Games here after defending his men’s 57kg crown, while Rogen Ladon fell short of his three-peat bid in the men’s 51kg division on Saturday, May 13.

Bautista scored perfect scores of 30 from all five judges in his unanimous decision demolition of Indonesia’s Asri Udin at the Chroy Changvar Convention Center here.

The boxing team, with nine of its members advancing to the finals, is extra motivated to deliver golds following the death of Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines president Ed Picson just before the SEA Games.

“I won this for sir Ed,” said Bautista in Filipino.

Ladon, though, did not have the same luck as he absorbed a unanimous decision loss to Thailand’s Thanarat Saengphet.

The men’s 51kg champion in the past two SEA Games, Ladon still secured a silver. – Rappler.com