Manny Lopez, ABAP president, yesterday revealed during the PSA Forum at the Holiday Inn the names of the boxers who have been dropped from the national team after a series of discussions and meetings he had with the members of the coaching staff.
Among those who were booted out of the team are some of the biggest names in amateur boxing like 1996 Atlanta Olympics veteran Elias Recaido and 2000 Sydney Olympics veterans Reynaldo Galido and the Lerio brothers — Danilo and Arlan.
Others who were dropped from the team were Junie Tizon, Joel Barriga, Efren Desierto, Rico Moreno, Sonny Dollente, Bill Vicera and David Gopong. Except for the last two, these boxers are all veterans of many international competitions.
Galido, who rose to fame when he won the gold medal in the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games, is already in his 30s and way past his prime. He saw action in Kuala Lumpur and won the bronze medal in the welterweight division.
The Lerios, on the other hand, will be best remembered for their heart-breaking setbacks in Sydney where they came close to winning medals for the country. Danilo has left the team early this year due to personal reasons while Arlan, also in his early 20s, might turn pro soon.
"Medyo pinag-iisipan ko na din ito ng matagal. Pagkatapos siguro ng SEA Games ay puwede na mag-professional. Kaya ko naman siguro ’yon," Arlan told The STAR while training for the SEA Games where he won the bantamweight silver.
Arlan, a native of Kidapawan City, will have North Cotabato Gov. Manny Piñol as his manager once he turns pro.
Erasing the names of these four boxers from the national team was a painful decision for Lopez and the coaching staff since they’ve been part of the ABAP family for so many years now and that they’ve given pride and honor to the country in the international arena. Recaido is also a gold medalist in Hiroshima.
"Medyo radical nga ang changes. Pero kailangan na," said Lopez, who also announced the inclusion of 1984 LA Olympics quarterfinalist Leopoldo Cantancio and 1988 Seoul Olympics bronze medalist Leopoldo Serrantes into the coaching staff.