Thais control boxing but protest judging
Thais control boxing but protest judging
KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Indonesia and Malaysia won two gold
medals each in boxing competition at the 21st Southeast Asian
Games here on Sunday as Thailand maintained its domination in the
sport.
Thailand swept seven of the 11 gold medals at stake and
insisted it was robbed of another by crooked scoring in favor of
a fighter of host country.
Clutching a Thai flag, Pongsak Hrianthuanthong stayed in the
ring for 10 minutes after he was judged a 13-12 loser on points
to Zainudin Sidi in the 63.5-kilogram division. He also declined
to accept his silver medal at the podium.
"It's a scoring mafia," said Boonserm Mejaserp, the assistant
Thai team coach. He thought Pongsak had won by a 10-2 margin. The
Thai team lodged a protest.
K. Thiruganasothi, president of the Singapore Amateur Boxing
Association and chairman of a five-man jury that oversaw the SEA
boxing contest, said the protest was overruled.
"It was a close decision. The jury was unanimous," he said.
The light-footed Pongsak appeared to land more punches,
although the Malaysian threatened his Thai opponent on the ropes
several times and connected several times.
Bonyx Yusak Saweho gave Indonesia its first gold medal in the
45kg division after scoring a 24-15 win over Thailand's Kaew
Pongprayoon in the customary four, two-minute rounds. It was the
first gold medal for rookie Bonyx.
Indonesia bagged its second through veteran boxer Albert
Papilaya, who retained the gold he won in Brunei two years ago
with an upset 15-7 win over Thailand's Pornchai Thongburan, an
Olympic bronze medalist.
The afternoon's 11 finals, staged inside a sweltering tin-
roofed arena packed with Thai and Malaysian fans banging drums
and cheering every landed punch, started badly for dominant
Thailand, which had a fighter in every bout.
Southpaw Suban Pannon at 48kg put Thailand on track with a
tough 22-15 win over Malaysia's Sapok Biki, who won the
Commonwealth Games gold in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.
After the decision went his way, Suban paraded in the ring
holding aloft a portrait of Thailand's revered King Bhumibol
Adulyadej, which was carried in front of all the Thai fighters
before they entered the ring.
At 51 kilograms, wily Somjit Jongjohor beat Malaysia's Rakib
Ahmad 20-5, landing neck-jarring straight rights to the head, and
swerving out of harm's way as Rakib tried to engage him at close
range.
Thailand's Chotipat Wongprates, another southpaw, comfortably
defeated Lerio Arlan of the Philippines 19-9 at 54 kilograms with
repeated short left and left cross punches to Arlan's head.
The second of the two Filipino finalists, Ramil Zambales, lost
in the 57kg division. His fight against Sutthisak Samaksaman of
Thailand was stopped in the 2nd round after Zambales was cut over
the left eye.