MYANMAR UPDATED. Tough, stocky and packing a withering left hook, Myanmar's gold medal-winning boxer Nwe Ni Oo cuts a surprising image in a conservative nation where women are expected to be demure rather than combative.
But the 19-year-old won hearts with a teary-eyed podium celebration at the Southeast Asian Games in the capital Naypyidaw, after a bruising points victory over her Philippine rival in the 57 kilogramme class.
"It's very exciting because I have never fought foreigners before... I'm happy to fight in front of Myanmar fans too," she said after Saturday's win.
Nwe Ni Oo is also blazing a trail for women, who have boxed for Myanmar at the regional showpiece event since 2001 but failed to win gold, cramped by poor funding during the corrupt junta era and a lack of wider support.
Emerging from the shadow of decades of military rule, the country is proud of its reputation for relative gender equality in a region where violence against women is widespread.
The nation's most famous daughter is Nobel Prize-winner Aung San Suu Kyi, and women are given equal rights under the law, enjoying a higher social status than their counterparts in India and China.
Yet they continue to face significant challenges in the impoverished country.
The International Monetary Fund says two-thirds of Myanmar's women are stuck in unskilled labour with low wages, while only 18 percent of adult women have attended secondary school or higher, impeding their economic prospects.
It is also a deeply traditional culture requiring women to dress modestly -- more so in the countryside -- and follow well-trodden cultural pathways in the devoutly Buddhist society.
So much so that organisers of the games even cut gymnastics and beach volleyball from the line-up of events, reportedly convinced the outfits worn by athletes would be too scandalous.
But in the sports they have competed in, women athletes have flourished, winning plaudits and prestige in everything from local cane-ball game chinlone to football.
The women's boxing team has earned special praise after claiming a gold, a silver and two bronzes -- helping their country to the upper echelons of the medals table in the regional showpiece competition, which is seen as a "coming out" party for the former pariah nation.
As humble outside the ring as she is pugnacious within it, Nwe Ni Oo -- the eldest of six siblings -- said she is fighting for a better future for her family, who come from the hard-scrabble southern delta region.
"My family support me... my father in particular wants me to be a great boxer," the diminutive teenager told AFP, a beige smear of traditional thanaka make-up barely concealing a bruised cheek.
Her victory is all the more remarkable given that she only put on gloves three years ago and came in two kilos underweight for her category at the SEA Games.
To observers, women's sporting victories are bringing more than just medals.
"Sport can improve the role of women in this country," said May Sabe Phyu, a gender equality activist.
"When women claim medals, it shows we are as capable as men," she said, adding she also wanted to see a greater gender balance in the heart of government.
Her comments were echoed in a recent briefing note by the UN's development agency which said there remains "much to be done to make gender equality a practical reality" -- including boosting women's representation in public life and addressing some restrictive cultural norms.
Speaking at a women's forum in Rangoon in December, Suu Kyi said the burden of keeping families together during the repressive junta era had often fallen on women.
But as the country opens, women are determined to help shape the future, she said.
"We want to make our rightful contribution to our society... we want to take a meaningful role," she added.
For the home athletes, the SEA Games is a chance for both personal glory and to play a part in that opening -- which has been formalised in political and economic change, but also wider social liberalisation.
As the competition, which runs until December 22, breaks new ground for women boxers, supporters hope their success will open the pipeline of talent across the nation.
"Myanmar women are traditional... most women can't box," said Aung San Oo, a former boxer who has spent months training Nwe Ni Oo ahead of the event.
"I feel very honoured to help now that women can box and compete in other sports," he said.
bangkokpost.com
INDONESIA UPDATED. Dua petinju putra Indonesia, Erico Amanopunyo dan AlexTatontos, kandas di babak semifinal SEA Games ke-27 di Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, Jumat, 13 Desember 2013. Erico yang bermain di kelas welter ringan (64 kilogram) kalah angka melawan petinju Filipina, Dennis Galvan.
Adapun Alex Tatontos di kelas menengah (75 kilogram) ditaklukkan petinju Filipina yang lain, Willy Lopez, juga dengan angka. Alex, peraih medali emas pada SEA Games 2011, semula ditargetkan mempertahankan prestasinya dua tahun lalu.
Petinju Indonesia yang juga ditargetkan meraih medali emas, Julio Bria, sudah lebih dulu tersingkir di babak awal. Julio meraih medali emas pada SEA Games 2011. Dengan demikian, dua target medali emas dari Julio dan Alex gagal diwujudkan.
Adapun Erico tampil di tim utama secara kontroversial karena ia menyisihkan Vinky Montolalu yang telah mengalahkannya tiga kali, yakni di PON, Sarung Tinju Emas, dan Piala Wakil Presiden. Vinky yang juga dikirim oleh Pengurus Pusat Persatuan Tinju Amatir Indonesia (PP Pertina) ke Myanmar disisihkan melalui voting yang melibatkan pelatih dan petinju.
Vinky yang terpukul dan kecewa karena merasa dipermalukan dengan keputusan itu, Rabu malam lalu kembali ke Jakarta dengan biaya sendiri. Hal itu juga dipertanyakan oleh Sasana Amphibi yang menaungi Vinky. Pembina Sasana Amphibi yang juga Wakil Ketua Pengprov Pertina DKI Jakarta, Richard Engkeng akan meminta pertanggungjawaban PP Pertina seusai SEA Games nanti.tempo.co
PHILIPPINES UPDATED. After two consecutive days without winning a single gold medal, Philippine boxing and karatedo teams end the gold medal drought in the 27th Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar, winning four gold medals today.
Boxer Jovie Gabuco started the medal haul by ruling the women’s light flyweight division in a majority decision win over Indonesia’s Beatrix Suguro.Read more: pinoyheadline.com
Olympian Mark Anthony Barriga then delivered the second gold by overpowering Konelis Kwangu Langu of Indonesia in the 49kg class, followed by Mario Fernandez who shut-out Thailand’s Donchai Tathi also in a unanimous decision, in the bantamweight division.
Karaeka Ramon Antonio Franco sneaked in another gold medal in the men’s individual kumite -55 kg, to add up the gold medal haul to four.
Franco beat Brunei’s Muhammad Fadaiy Sanif, 8-6, in the finals to win Karatedo’s first gold in this year’s SEA Games.
Coming close to a golden finish today are boxers Junel Cantanioc (60kg), Dennis Galvan (64kg), Wilfredo Lopez (75kg) and Nesthy Petecion (57kg) who all lost their final bouts and settled for silver.
Mae Soriano, one of the gold medal prospects of the Karatedo team, also settled for silver after loosing in a very close fight for the gold in the women’s individual kumite 55kg.
Another gold medal hopeful and defending champion, Rubilen Amit also lost the women’s 9-ball gold to Indonesia’s Magdalena Ticoalu in a lopsided finals, 7-2; while compatriot Efren Bata Reyes and Francisco delos Reyes both lost their semifinal battles in the men’s 1 Cushion Carom Single and settled for bronze.
Adding more medals for Philippines are Jasmine Alkhaldi (100m Butterfly), Joanna Mae Ylanan (Individual Kumite 68kg), and Rogelio Antonio Jr. (international individual blitz), who contributed a bronze medal each.
Woodpushers Mark Paragua, Janelle Mae Frayna and Catherine Perena failed to medal today in the international individual blitz chess event, so as the lone biker seeing action today, Joey Barba who placed 5th in the Men’s Mountain Bike Down Hill 1.5km finals with a time of 2:29.505.
Sinag Pilipinas beat Indonesia, 83-52, and is set to face Malaysia today to formalize their gold medal win.
Archers were off to a good start at the men’s compound individual qualification in he afternoon where Earl Benjamine Yap placed 2nd, Delfin Anthony Adriano in 5th, Ian Patrick Chipeco in 11th, and Jose Ferdinand Adriano in 20th position.
Team Philippines ended today’s action with 3 gold, 6 silver and 8 bronze medals.
PHILIPPINES UPDATED. The Philippine boxing team looked poised to surpass its previous four-gold haul after five more fighters, led by Olympian Mark Barriga, reached the finals Friday in the 27th Southeast Asian Games at Wunna Theikdi Stadium here. Except for Rey Saludar’s surprise loss to a Burmese fighter in what was described by the PH delegation head as a hometown decision, the men’s team pulled through as expected, jacking up the number of Filipinos in Saturday’s finals to seven, two fewer than top rival Thailand’s nine. In a match that was more lopsided than what the judges’ scores indicated, Barriga beat Mohd Faud Mohd Reuvan of Malaysia by split decision, 30-27, 28-29, 30-27, to reach the light flyweight finals. But a promising start took a twist when Saludar, the 2010 Asian Games flyweight gold medalist, lost to Mg Nge of Myanmar, 28-29, 27-30, 28-29, much to the chagrin of team officials. “It was a hometown decision,” said Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines executive director Ed Picson. The PH pugs quickly got back on track with bantamweight Mario Fernandez, lightweight Junel Cantancio, light welterweight Dennis Galvan and welterweight Wilfredo Lopez assuring the country of at least a silver just like featherweight Nesthy Petecio and light flyweight Josie Gabuco in the women’s category. A relentless Fernandez crushed Tran Quoc Viet of Vietnam, 29-28, 30-27, 30-27, while Cantancio, showing guile and experience, prevailed over Muhamad Ridhawan Ahmad of Singapore, 29-28, 30-27, 30-27. Galvan barely survived Ericok Amonupunyo of Indonesia, 29-28, 28-29, 29-28, while Lopez, using his reach to score heavily on counterpunches, recovered from a lethargic first round to frustrate Alex Tatantos of Indonesia, 29-28, 29-28, 28-29. Cantancio, Fernandez and Galvan will be facing Thai foes in the finals, while Lopez and Petecio will duel Myanmar boxers. Barriga and Gabuco will be up against Indonesian foes.sports.inquirer.net
PHILIPPINES UPDATED. Boxing Women, results Day 11, Philippines bags gold in boxing women’s 45-48 kg division. Josie Gabuco defeats Warni Halawa of Indonesia, Saturday at 27th Southeast Asian Games boxing gymnasium of the Wunnum Theikdi National Sports Complex Myanmar.
The reigning world titlist who emerged as pinweight champion in the 2011 edition of the biennial Games in Indonesia. Gabuco earns her ticket to the finals after defeating Sonkra Chantavonsra of Laos.
Punches her way way off to the finals light-flyweight category in the 27th Southeast Asian Games women’s boxing competition last Thursday night at the Wunna Theikdi Stadium.
The final results officiated by the judges: Gold – Philippines, Indonesia boxer took the silver and
Bronze medals went to Laos & Myanmar.
Eight Filipino boxers already assured of SEA Games medals. Seven Filipino boxers will get their shot at Southeast Asian Games gold as the Philippines dominated the proceedings Friday afternoon. Josie Gabuco. File photo courtesy of ABAPfreedistrict.com
PHILIPPINE UPDATED. 2012 London Olympics veteran Mark Anthony Barriga and 2013 China Open silver medalist Junel Cantancio both booked victories to ensure that the entire Philippine boxing contingent made the medal rounds in the 27th Southeast Asian Games in Naypyidaw, Myanmar.
Barriga struggled against Vietnamese foe Huynh Ngoc Viet but came away with a split decision win while Cantancio had an easier time against Laotian opponent Keochi Xayyasone, earning the nod on all three judges’ scorecards.
The 20-year-old Barriga, who owned a convincing victory over his Vietnamese rival from the World Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan two months ago, had to squeak by this time around after receiving a tougher challenge.
Barriga has also been struggling with jet lag since arriving from his training in Assissi, ITaly as part of the Italia Thunder team in the AIBA World Series of Boxing.
“He also knew my game, and anticipated my left straight,” Barriga said in Filipino. “I felt some tightness in my thighs and couldn’t move well. Luckily I was able to sneak in some of my hooks.”
Cantancio, the oldest of the PLDT-ABAP boxers in the 2013 SEA Games at age 27, won 30-24, 30-24 and 29-28 in a unanimous decision.
All 10 Philippine representatives have made it into at least the semifinals with Nesthy Petecio already in the finals after a win over Thailand’s Tassamalee Thongjan last Monday.
Aside from Barriga and Cantancio, Filipinos Rey Saludar, Mario Fernandez, Dennis Galvan, Wilfredo Lopez, Josie Gabuco, Maricris Igam and Irish Magno are also in the semis of their respective events.
“We offer this to our countrymen who suffered in the recent tragedies,” said ABAP president Ricky Vargas.
“We hope we can win golds to make our gift more special.”
CAMBODIA UPDATED. Cambodia’s team of fighters primed for the English boxing competition at the 27th SEA Games in Myanmar next month have expressed their concern at the standard of the opposition following their return home from a 37-day training camp held in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
Six boxers, including 2011 SEA Games bronze medalists Svay Ratha and Choun Sokleng (Vorn Viva), were accompanied in Thailand by coach Ven Sophal. “After the friendly boxing tournament with national boxers from Thailand and Malaysia on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday (last week), we saw that our rivals were better than us, especially at 64kg and 69kg weight classes,” the coach told the Post, adding that Cambodia’s strongest rivals at the SEA Games would be from Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
However, Svay Ratha said he was better prepared than two years ago, when he made the podium in Indonesia. “I will get a medal if my opponent in the opening fight is not Thai or Filipino,” he said. The six fighters heading to Myanmar include Svay Ratha (64kg), Choun Sokleng (81kg), Phal Sophon (60kg), Long Lamda (56kg), Srun Pisey (69kg) and Nat Saknin (49kg)..
INDONESIA UPDATED. Ketua PP Pertina, Reza Ali, menargetkan tiga emas untuk Indonesia di SEA Games 2013 Myanmar. Reza menjanjikan penampilan berbeda para petinju Indonesia di Myanmar. "Di Sea Games 2011, kita hanya mendapat satu emas di kandang sendiri. Di Myanmar nanti, saya janjikan hasil yang berbeda," kata Reza di Makassar, Selasa (1/10).Untuk mewujudkan target itu, Pertina mengirim 12 petinju berlatih di Kuba sampai November mendatang. "Besok (Rabu), mereka akan mengikuti sebuah turnamen di Brasil," tutur Reza.Reza enggan menyebut nama petinju yang diandalkan untuk meraih emas. "Saya ingin menjaga semangat berlatih mereka. Biarlah mereka bersaing secara sehat di Kuba," ujar Reza.Disisi lain, Reza mengungkapkan pihaknya sudah melakukan kalkulasi ulang soal peluang petinju di Myanmar. "Karena ada sejumlah negara seperti Myanmar, Kamboja dan Phlipina menaturalisasi petinju dari Amerika dan Jerman," jelasnya.Reza juga mengungkapkan bahwa SEA Games hanya sasaran antara kepengurusannya. "Kami ingin ada petinju Indonesia yang bisa berlaga di Olimpiade dan Kejuaraan Dunia," tutur Reza.Untuk itu, Pertina memperbanyak mengirim petinju bertanding ke luar negeri. "Dalam masa satu setengah tahun kepengurusan saya, sudah tujuh kali Pertina mengirim petinju keluar negeri. Dulu hanya sekali dalam lima tahun," ujar Reza..
