Filipino boxers Mark Ashley Fajardo and Ofelia Magno overcame their respective foes to advance in their divisions in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, Wednesday at the Chulalongkorn University Sports Centre in Bangkok, Thailand.
Magno got the ball rolling for the Philippine boxing team, shaking off early jitters before controlling the tempo in the ensuing frames to score a 4-1 win over Aye Nyein Htoo of Myanmar in the women’s 48kg finals.
With the win, she is now assured of at least a bronze medal and can go for a spot in the final against Vietnamese Ngo Ngoc Linh Chi.
Fajardo came out swinging and unloaded slick combinations to dominate a much taller foe in Vietnamese Nguyen Duc Ngoc, 5-0, in the men’s 69-kilograms round of 16.
"'Di ko talaga timbang ito, kasi parang replacement lang ako. Timbang ko 63, hirap ako magbawas ng timbang kaya ito 'yung nilaruan ko," said Fajardo.
"Gusto ko talaga makakuha ng medalya sa SEA Games po. Kasi, 'yun ang inspirasyon ko, pamilya ko sa Cebu kasi nabagyuhan rin sila eh," said the 20-year-old pug, who got support from a small but animated Filipino fans on the stands.
His next opponent is Riwu Jekri of Indonesia, who drew a bye in the first round.
Not as fortunate, however, was veteran campaigner Ian Clark Bautista, whose bid for a fourth straight SEA Games gold medal was erased in a 5-0 loss to Thai bet Sarawut Sukthet in the men’s 57kg quarterfinals.