Singapore ? Filipino boxers have received their marching order: Get all eight gold medals in the 28th Southeast Asian Games.
Association of Boxing Alliance of the Philippines (ABAP) president Ricky Vargas called the team Monday night to tell them to win all their bouts.
?Are we that greedy?? asked ABAP executive director Ed Picson.
?Why not?? retorted Vargas.
It was here in 1993 where Filipino boxers collected their biggest haul outside local soil ? five gold medals.
?Coach na ako noon,? Nolito Velasco recalled.
Without sounding too confident, Picson said the Filipinos have the edge in every fight.
?But remember, we sent seven boxers in Myanmar. We only won three,? he said.
Picson, however, cited the officiating which has been fair so far.
On Tuesday, the boxers did some light workout and watched videos of their opponents.
Bantamweight Nesthy Petecio needs no extra motivation.
Petecio is looking for her first gold medal after settling for silvers in the last two stagings of the Games.
She will face Vietnamese Le Thi Bang whom she beat in 2011 during the President?s Cup in Indonesia.
Powerhouse Thailand sent only five boxers to the finals, two of whom the Filipinos will face on Wednesday.
PH-Thailand bouts pit bantamweight Mario Fernandez against Ongjunta Tanes and light flyweight Josie Gabuco against Raksat Chuthamat.
In other PH bouts, flyweight Irish Magno faces Nguyen Thi Yen of Vietnam, light flyweight Roger Ladon clashes with Kornelis Kwangu Langu of Indonesia, flyweight Clark Ian Bautista fights Mohamed Hamid of Singapore, lightweight Junel Cantancio tackles Nguyen Van Hai of Vietnam and welterweight Eumir Felix Marcial collides with Tay Jia Wei of Singapore.
Meanwhile, middleweight Wilfredo Lopez was taken to a hospital Tuesday for X-ray examination of his swollen right hand.
Lopez injured his hand during his first fight and fought in the semifinals with only one good hand, according to Picson.
