Boxing stars as Manny Pacquiao and Nesthy Petecio opened the Southeast Asian Games lighting the cauldron together

The Opening Ceremony of the 30th edition of the Southeast Asian Games was held in the Philippine Arena in Bulacan. Philippines’ President Mr. Rodrigo Duterte also attended in the Opening Ceremony where two star boxers Manny Pacquiao and AIBA Women’s World Champion Nesthy Petecio were involved to share duties of lighting the cauldron.
The new edition of the Southeast Asian Games is holding in Manila, Philippines and the boxing tournament will be starting on December 4 while the finals are scheduled to take place on December 9. Philippines hosted the Southeast Asian Games last time in the city of Bacolod in 2005 and after 14 years the event returned to the country.
The Southeast Asian Games is a multisport event, holds every two years and in the region and its importance is like an Asian Games or an Olympic Games. The boxing competitions of the Southeast Asian Games will see several top boxers in action including medallists from the World and Asian Championships.
The boxing tournament of the Southeast Asian Games is scheduled in five female categories: light flyweight (48kg), flyweight (51kg), bantamweight (54kg), featherweight (57kg) and lightweight (60kg). The male part of the boxing event of the SEA Games will be held eight men’s weight classes in Manila: light flyweight (49kg), flyweight (52kg), bantamweight (56kg), lightweight (60kg), light welterweight (64kg), welterweight (69kg), middleweight (75kg) and light heavyweight (81kg).
The Thai-Filipino rivalry is strong in the region and their boxers trained hard to be in top form in the recent editions of the Southeast Asian Games. Philippines ranked No.1 in the boxing tournament of the Southeast Asian Games in Singapore four years ago, Vietnam was the runner-up sensationally, and Thailand secured only the third place in the competition in 2015.
The first gold medal of the 2017 edition was achieved by Muhammad Fuad Bin Mohamed Redzuan of Malaysia but after that Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines also won titles in Kuala Lumpur. All of the six titleholders will be attending in the upcoming Southeast Asian Games in Manila.

List of the titleholders in the Southeast Asian Games
49kg: Muhammad Fuad Bin Mohamed Redzuan, Malaysia
52kg: Aldoms Suguro, Indonesia
56kg: Chatchai Butdee, Thailand
64kg: Wuttichai Masuk, Thailand
75kg: Eumir Felix Marcial, Philippines
81kg: Marvin John Nobel Tupas, Philippines

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