Gold clinched, Ian Clark Bautista eyes Paris Olympics stint as career highlight
Ian Clark Bautista within the SEA Video games 2023 boxing remaining. –TEAM PHILIPPINES POOL
PHNOM PENH—Ian Clark Bautista has an enormous assortment of boxing medals again dwelling, however there’s yet another piece of {hardware} that he’s dying to amass for his trophy room.
“I compete within the SEA (Southeast Asian) Video games, Asian championships, the Asian Video games and even on the planet Olympic qualifiers, however I’ve by no means been to the Olympics,’’ stated Bautista after prevailing for the featherweight plum in males’s boxing on the thirty second Southeast Asian Video games.
The 28-year-old pleasure of Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, claimed his second straight title in these Video games and although Bautista stays ecstatic with these victories, an Olympic expertise will little question full a life-long dream.
Thanking Ed Picson
“I’ve been right here (within the nationwide boxing workforce) for 14 years and what a approach it could be to spotlight my profession with a stint in [the] Paris Olympics,’’ stated Bautista, who provided his win to former boxing affiliation president Ed Picson who handed away not too long ago.
He profusely thanked Picson for bringing him to the nationwide workforce again in 2009 when he couldn’t even compete domestically.
“I used to be too gentle and small again then. He requested me what’s going to I do after I return to the province and I instructed him nothing. I then educated in Baguio for 2 years earlier than lastly competing on the worldwide degree,’’ stated Bautista.
The progress for Bautista was fast, successful a gold medal within the 2015 SEA Video games in Singapore together with a clump of medals in quite a lot of overseas meets.
Bautista’s path to the Paris Summer time Video games subsequent yr will run via the Asian Video games in Hangzhou, China, this September with the finalists in his weight division routinely reserving that uncommon French journey.
“I’ll work arduous for it step-by-step. The Asian Video games is now world-class, a few of the finest boxers on the planet will likely be there,’’ stated Bautista.
Olympic silver medalists Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio will go for the gold on Sunday together with three different Filipino boxers after the nationwide boxing squad captured just one mint via Bautista.
Rogen Ladon relinquished his flyweight title whereas Irish Magno and Riza Pasuit ended up with silver medals, too.
Baustista fought a tactical battle in a unanimous win over Asri Udin of Indonesia. He noticed a gap proper on the primary spherical and pressed on the assault to rapidly seize the benefit after two rounds.
Udin was a simple goal for the much-faster Bautista, who simply bobbed and weaved out of hurt’s approach within the remaining spherical to safe the nation’s first gold medal in males’s boxing.
“I noticed that he’s in ache after I stored throwing punches at his abdomen. That’s the place I attacked him most,’’ stated Bautista.
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