Sports FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017 45 Schooling slams critics after golden double

KUALA LUMPUR: Olympic butterfly champi- individual events as I can.” Schooling, who break which hit 16 Malaysian athletes, fin- ter-final against Filipino teenager Carlo on Joseph Schooling rounded on critics who won 100m butterfly bronze at last month’s ished third in the event behind Vietnam. “We Paalam. “Some say I won, others say he won say he’s too slowly after he grabbed world championships, just a year after stun- do feel sorry for him and we’re pretty sure but for me I got the most number of points his fourth and fifth gold medals of the ning to claim the Olympic he’s disappointed too. But we can’t help it and the fight was dominated by myself and Southeast Games yesterday. Schooling said title, hasn’t tested his personal bests this because it’s sickness, it happens to everyone,” not him,” he said. Quzandria Ambak won detractors could say what they liked as he won week. In the 100m freestyle, he was pushed all said ’s Welson Sim. dressage gold-ahead of her elder brother the 100m freestyle and anchored ’s the way by Vietnam’s Hoang Quy Phuoc With five full days of competition to go, Qabil, who took silver-and Malaysia also won 4x200m freestyle relay victory to near his tar- before winning in 48.93, outside the SEA Malaysia appeared to be headed for victory titles in squash, karate, shooting and pencak get of six gold medals in . Games record he set two years ago in on the overall medals table as they soared to silat, a martial art. “They can say whatever they want,” Singapore. In the relay, he pulled away in the 63 golds late on Thursday, 30 ahead of sec- Thailand swept the men’s and women’s Schooling shot back, when asked about the last leg to help Singapore to win by more ond-placed Vietnam. individual golf titles, as Thai-Japanese Kosuke criticism of his performances which has been than six seconds, but their time didn’t beat Grace Wong set a new Games record of Hamamoto carded 10-under-par 203 over circulating online. “My goal is to come here the tournament record they set in their home 59.24m in the women’s hammer, and boxer three rounds to win by a stroke from and help the team as best as I can, win gold pool in 2015. Muhamad Fuad Redzuan won Malaysia’s first Singapore’s Marc Ong. medals. That’s all I care about at this meet. ever SEA Games title in the light In the women’s golf, also held at Kuala You can’t always set best times, it’s fine. TUMMY TROUBLE division. Fuad, who beat Thani Narinram of Lumpur’s Mines Resort, Atthaya Thitikul “It’s all about me trying to help the team as Malaysia, who lost Daniel Bego from their Thailand for the gold, denied suggestions he marched to victory by seven strokes with 14- best as I can and me trying to win as many relay team because of a food poisoning out- benefited from an unfair decision in his quar- under-par 199.— AFP

SEA GAMES Gold in 21 seconds for Filipino-Brit boxer

KUALA LUMPUR: Filipino-British boxer John Marvin took just 21 seconds to clinch the light title yesterday, and then said he wanted a quick win as he didn’t trust the judges. The 24-year-old, a lance corporal in the British Army, unleashed a barrage of punches from the bell to stop Malaysia’s Adli Hafidz Mohamad Pauzi-who later claimed he wasn’t ready. Marvin said he didn’t want the final to be left in the hands of the judges, after his team-mate Carlo Paalam lost a questionable decision against home favourite Muhamad Fuad Redzuan on Monday. Fuad went on to win the class, clinching Malaysia’s first SEA Games title in the division. “My mission was to get in there and win. That is my plan. I hit (my opponent) a four-punch combina- tion in the face,” Marvin said, dedicating the win to Paalam and the Philippines. “It is a revenge for my colleague who lost in an unfair manner,” he added. “I did not want the fight to be decided by the umpires. We train to get in there and destroy.” Marvin, who comes from Britain’s Isle of Wight and whose mother is Filipino, said he felt “sad” that rising star Paalam, 19, was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Fuad. “He is my team-mate. It is sad to see him lose,” he said. Fuad, LAS VEGAS: Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. (L) and MMA fighter Connor Mcgregor pose during a media press conference on meanwhile, who beat Thani Narinram of Thailand in the light fly- Wednesday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. — AFP weight final, insisted his victory over Paalam was legitimate. “I waited for eight years to win gold in the SEA Games. When I fought the Filipino, it was 50-50,” he said. “Some say I won, others say he won but for me I got the most number of points and the fight was dominated by myself and not him (Paalam),” he said. The Philippines claimed a second gold Undefeated and unloved, medal through Eumir Felix Marcial, who braved injured knuckles to beat Thailand’s Pathomsak Kuttiya on points. But Mario Fernandez, who was eyeing a record third straight Mayweather eyes payday gold in the class, lost unexpectedly to Thailand’s Chatchai Butdee. Indonesia’s Aldoms Sugoro beat Thai fighter Tanes Ongjunta to win the flyweight title, and Thailand’s LAS VEGAS: Two years after retiring from some estimates, pocket another $200 mil- Mayweather says. “I had a father who was was crowned light champion with boxing, Floyd Mayweather climbs back lion this weekend. a hustler and a mother who was on drugs. victory over Sarohatua Lumbantobing of Indonesia. — AFP into the ring tomorrow chasing history It is the latest money-spinning stop on I was the man in the house from 16. That’s and one last mammoth payday. The 40- a career that has seen Mayweather go just the way it was.” When Mayweather year-old former welterweight champion from 1996 Olympics bronze medallist to fought at the 1996 Olympics, his father will become the first boxer in history to be regarded as one of the greatest boxers was serving a five-year prison sentence for post a perfect record of 50-0, if as expect- in history. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, drug-trafficking. ed, he proves too strong for Conor on February 4, 1977, Mayweather was des- In Floyd Sr’s absence, his uncle Roger McGregor, the mixed martial arts star tined for the ring. His father, Floyd had taken over the training of the young fighting in his first ever boxing contest. Mayweather Sr., was himself a talented fighter, overseeing his entry to the profes- The 50th bout of Mayweather’s 21-year former welterweight who once fought 10 sional ranks. Within two years, the skilful, professional career has been disparaged rounds with . Floyd Sr. lightning-fast Mayweather had won his variously as a freakshow, publicity stunt or taught his son to box almost as soon as he first world title, knocking out the WBC simply “bad for boxing.” Mayweather, who could walk. Floyd Sr. was holding his superfeatherweight champion Genaro has spent years crafting an image as the infant son in his arms when he was shot in Hernandez in eight rounds. Years of domi- fighter that fans love to hate, is not even the leg during a family dispute, an injury nation followed as Mayweather plowed remotely fazed by the catcalls. Because that effectively ended his career. “He was through the divisions up to welterweight. not for the first time, the boxer who training to be a fighter in the crib,” In 2006, he took the unusual step of buy- delights in displaying the trappings of his Mayweather Sr. said of his son. ing out his contract with promoter Bob KUALA LUMPUR: Marvin John Nobel Tupas (in blue) of the wealth across social media, will be laugh- Mayweather, who grew up in a Arum, in order to take greater control of Philippines fights against Adli Hafidz binti Mohamad ing all the way to the bank. cramped apartment with seven relatives, his career. Since then Mayweather has Fauzi (in red) during the boxing (81 kg) Mayweather, whose career earnings frames his early life as a battle for survival. been able to dictate terms for most of his final at the 29th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in reportedly topped $700 million following “It’s never been easy for me. Boxing is fights, taking a cut of the back-end profit Kuala Lumpur yesterday. — AFP his last bout in 2015, could, according to easy but life has never been easy,” in exchange for upfront risk. —AFP