Wait for boxing gold continues
Three boxers carried Singapore's hopes of ending a 32-year gold medal drought at the SEA Games yesterday.
Unfortunately, flyweight Hanurdeen Hamid, light welterweight Leong Jun Hao and light heavyweight Dinie Hakeem lost their respective semi-final bouts at the Malaysian International Trade and Exhibition Centre Hall 8.
Hanurdeen was defeated 3-2 by Indonesia's Aldoms Sugoro, Leong fell 4-1 to Indonesia's Sarohatua Lumbantonbing, and Dinie was pipped 3-2 by Malaysia's Adli Hafiz. All three Singaporeans earned a bronze medal despite their losses.
Singapore Amateur Boxing Federation chief Syed Abdul Kadir, however, was upset by the scoring in Hanurdeen's and Dinie's bouts.
Both Singaporeans fighters gave as good as they got against their opponents, and may have been aggrieved when the referees raised their opponents' arms instead of theirs.
Said 1974 Sportsman of the Year Kadir: "For Hanur's fight, it was close but he should have won 3-2. I'm sure of it. Right now, I'm trying to find out the exact scores for his match.
"In Dinie's fight, the judges gave points even when the Malaysian did not connect with clean punches... They were influenced by the cheers of the crowd.
"But I don't want to talk too much, later some (critics) will say we are sore losers."
The last time a Singaporean triumphed was in 1985 when Mohammed Mukhlis Amat beat hometown favourite Taweet Islam in Bangkok.
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