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.