PH boxing’s medal machine roars along efficiently with Magno dominating higher-ranked Kenyan foe even as Petecio climbs ring again

Irish Magno (right) scores with a shot to the face of Kenya’s Christine Ongare. — PHOTO FROM AFP

Under heavy fire from Irish Magno’s “bread-and-butter” game plan—a pattern of attack schemed by coaches off detailed scouting to open up shots to the body and the head—Kenya’s Christine Ongare was toast.

Irish Magno — PHOTO FROM AFP

Magno was everywhere on Sunday, smothering her higher-ranked foe with crisp, jarring shots on the ring of the Kokugikan Arena here and mending hearts broken by a painful defeat Team Philippines suffered the night before.

Half of what she accomplished in the Tokyo Olympics women’s boxing flyweight preliminaries was relatively easy.

“We scouted her opponent two nights ago and developed some tactics, and she was pretty much comfortable with it,” said boxing head coach Don Abnett.

Salvaging morale

The second part, the salvaging of a morale bruised by gymnast Carlos Yulo’s shocking exit in the floor exercise preliminaries the night before, was a little bit harder. And likely aware of the implications of her victory for an Olympic delegation that had just lost its brightest hope of ending a tiring gold-medal wait, Magno chose to tie down potentially soaring expectations.

“Let’s not aim too high first,” Magno said with little prodding.