BACOLOD CITY -- Representative Monico Puentevella, who is also first vice president of the Philippine Olympic Committee, on Sunday decried what he described as "doubtful judging" against Philippine boxers Joegen Ladon, Romeo Brin, and Reynaldo Galido in the 23rd South East Asian Games men's boxing finals.
This is in contrast to the action of Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines president Manny Lopez, who has accepted the verdict of the three bouts won by Thailand.

In his letter to International Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) president Anwar Chowdry of Pakistan dated December 4, Puentevella said he was "dismayed and disappointed" by the manner in which the three bouts were scored. He called for an immediate review on the scoring of the fights.

Ladon lost to Thai featherweight Worapoj Pethkum, 22-33, in Saturday night's finals despite scoring a knockdown in the third round, while Brin bowed to lightwelterweight Pechai Sayota, 23-28.

Apparently angered by the poor scoring on the Galido-Suriya Prasathinphimai match, the crowd at the St. La Salle Coliseum threw debris at the judges, forcing the referee to stop the fight in favor of the Thai middleweight.

Thailand won five boxing golds to the Philippines' four.

It was not clear what started the commotion, but ring announcers said members of the home crowd were angry that the judges were not scoring some of the punches being made by their man Galido.

"Right in front of millions of Filipinos ... we have seen how our gallant boxers Ladon, Brin, and Galido were robbed of well deserved points," Puentevela said in a letter to Anwar Chowdry, president of the International Boxing Association.

Saturday's matches were "an ugly footnote to what can be considered as another successful SEA Games," he said.

"Many felt that we were robbed right in front of our own eyes and in our very own backyard," he said.

"Last night, our boxers suffered defeat not in the hands of their opponents but as a result of doubtful judging."

The Philippines and Thailand are the region's boxing powerhouses.

Bouts between the two nations are often so heated that in the 2003 Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, the crowd threw plastic water bottles and tin cans into the ring to protest a Philippine defeat.

Thailand won seven golds in Hanoi, while the Philippines only got one.

With AFP

Bad decision indeed.

I was watching ABC 5 coverage last night in the boxing and i was really disappointed by the judges decision to award the boxing to Thailand , The Thai are good but the crowd saw that the Filipino boxer is being cheated in their homeland ! Imagine the judges were giving pionts to Thailand while the Filipino boxer is the one who is actually scoring and not the Thai.

Expect that to happen when Thailand host the next SEA gmaes in 2007, they are notorious for vote buying in 1995 Chiangmai and 1998 Asian Games

In 2003 the Vietnamese crowd saw the unfavorable judging by the Thai judges in the SEA games that is "why' they also threw bottles at the judges during the Thai- Filipino fight!

As i have posted in the Thai forum :

Mabuti wala ako sa Bacolod kagabi kundi nagtapon ako ng 5 gallon na purified water sa mga Thai at mga judges !

As the host nation, Filipino should not throw the bottle to the stage.......no matter what they like the decision of the judge or not.

From TV here, the pictures that the Thai boxer ( and also the referee) was thrown by the bottle is really bad image for the Philippines.

And for the judgement, we saw that this is the cleanliness decision. For the Thai boxer that we lost to the Philippines's boxer, he is deserved to lost.

Tomorrow is the end of this Sea Games, I'm so happy.......coz Thai and Filipino never have a conflict almost entire in our history. Moreover, in oversea, Thai and Filipino is the most look alike to each other.

But this Sea Games bring a lot of tension in both side which never happen before. I hope after Sea Games, both side will forget everything that bother our mind and continue to be a good friend as the intention of the Spirit of Sea Games.

Just like what Thai did to the Philippine and Vietnamese delegation during the past 1995 Chiangmai SEA games and 1998 Asian games held in Bangkok!

Then letting a hometwon girl win in a "Best in National Costume " in this year's Miss Universe pre-pageant in Bangkok. With all of the judges in that event were Thai. So expect a winner of Best National Costume from Thailand next year since Thailand will again host the 2006 Miss Universe. By the way Thailand also won 1st runner - up in Best in National Costume in 1992 when Thailand hosted Miss Universe in 1992


Spirit of SEA Games? Just like what Taksil Sinawaythra (hehehe) said he does not watch SEA games bah bah.......

Malaysia , Indonesia , Philippines joined only in 1977 then Brunei and last 2003 East Timor.

Well said!!!!! A another Gold medal for you Ek-ek !