A mix of old, new of the best

An Olympic veteran, an Asian Games medalist, a fearless Fil-American and a couple of young, gifted fighters in the lighter divisions will carry the heavy load for the Philippine boxing team out to create a major impact in the 14th Asian Games in Busan, South Korea next month.

Romeo Brin, who saw action in the 2002 Sydney Olympics and a veteran of the last two Asiads, will compete in the light-welterweight class, and will act as the leader of the eight-man squad determined to erase bitter memories of its past failures in the international arena.

Also considered as pillars of the squad known as Team Caltex are lightweight Anthony Igusquiza, a bronze medalist in the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games, and light-middle Chris Camat, who had to leave a steady job in the US last year just to join the national team.

Lightfly Harry Tañamor and flyweight Violito Payla, however, are tipped to emerge as the brightest medal prospects come fight time as the two fighters, both in their early 20s and weighing just over a hundred pounds, seem to carry the heavier punch among their counterparts.

"These are all medal prospects. We are not sending anybody who doesn’t have a chance of winning," said amateur boxing president Manny Lopez as he bared the composition of the Busan-bound team in yesterday’s PSA Forum at the Holiday Inn.

The three other members of the team training so hard under the watchful eyes of coaches Gregorio Caliwan, Nolito Velasco and Patricio Gaspi are bantamweight Ferdie Gamo, featherweight Raul Laguna and middleweight Maraon Golez.

"Our boxers are in top condition. Pinipino na lang namin," said Caliwan, who was head coach of the RP team that won three gold medals in the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games courtesy of Mansueto Velasco, Elias Recaido and Reynaldo Galido.

The Philippines won just a single bronze in the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games through featherweight Eric Canoy then failed to win any medal in the Sydney Olympics and in last year’s Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.

"That’s why after the Kuala Lumpur Games, I ordered the coaching staff to immediately go back to work," said Lopez. "And this includes sending our boxers to international competitions in countries like Finland, Greece, Bosnia, Thailand and just recently North Korea."