Ladon lone gold hope as Paalam, Marcial settle for bronze medals in Asiad boxing

MANILA, Philippines — We’re down to one.

The troika of Filipino boxers in the hunt for the Asiad boxing gold medal was pruned to just Rogen Ladon on Friday night after Carlo Paalam and Eumir Felix Marcial both settled for bronze medals in their respective fights at the 2018 Asian Games men’s boxing skirmishes at the Jakarta International Expo.

Ladon carved out a unanimous 5-0 victory over his Thai foe Tongdee Yuttapong in the afternoon's penultimate tussle of the flyweight contest (52kg).

Paalam was the first to fall after India’s Amit narrowly beat him, 3-2, in their light flyweight (49kg) semifinal tussle. Marcial followed when Uzbekistan’s Israil Madrimov unleashed a brilliant performance in the middleweight clash (75kg)  just in time to turn back the Filipino, and log a 3-2 score.

Ladon, a grizzled boxer who competed in the Rio Olympics in 2016, will lock horns with Jasurbek Latipov for all the marbles this Saturday.

The 24-year-old Negros Occidental will have the chance to join female athletes Hidilyn Diaz, Margielyn Didal, Yuka Saso as the only harbinger of gold medals.

Ladon will also have an opportunity to deliver the first gold medal for boxing since Rey Saludar achieved the feat in the 2010 edition of the Asiad in China.