Team Lakay’s Iniong, Saclag seize kickboxing golds

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s campaign in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games kickboxing tournament concluded on a triumphant note as Team Lakay members Gina Iniong and Jean Claude Saclag added two more gold medals on Tuesday, December 10 at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City. 

Iniong, who competes as an atomweight mixed martial artist under the ONE Championship banner, put on an all-around performance, shutting down Thailand’s Apichaya Mingkhwan en route to a 3-0 win in the women’s 55-kilogram kick light category. 

Over the course of 3 rounds, the Baguio City native looked a step ahead on all fronts as she easily prevented Mingkhwan from employing her own offense, while also picking her Thai foe apart with her signature overhand right and follow-up kicks to the body. 

Her relentless pressure drew a thunderous chorus of cheers from the crowd as she floored the Thai taekwondo jin on numerous occasions towards the end of the bout. 

Saclag also emerged victorious in the finals of the men’s 63.5kg low kick tournament, defeating “Jordan Boy” Mohammed Bin Mahmoud of Malaysia, 3-0. 

Saclag – an Asian Games silver medalist who made his professional MMA debut in a losing effort this past May – earned some sort of redemption at the expense of Mahmoud, a muay thai athlete in ONE Championship’s “Super Series” all-striking league. 

Right off the bat, Mahmoud felt the pain of the Filipino’s power strikes, eating a stunning right hand and a crisp left hook that had him crisscrossing around the 4 corners of the ring, 

The 25-year-old native of Lubuagan, Kalinga appeared on his way to finishing the match in the 2nd round when he uncorked a perfectly executed sidekick to the Malaysian’ midsection. 

Although Mahmoud miraculously survived the onslaught, the punishment at the hands of Saclag continued in the 3rd and last round, putting him on the receiving end of more harrowing blows. 

Saclag was jumping in joy and tears after the final bell, knowing that he had it in the bag after a dominant showing to become a SEA Games gold medalist. 

Iniong and Saclag joined teammate Jeremy Olsim, who copped the gold medal in the 69kg kick light competition a day earlier. – Rappler.com