Cuban coach back next month to train RP pugs

Raul Fernandez Liranza, the Cuban coach credited for the silver medal finish of Mansueto "Onyok" Velasco in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, will finally be back next month after finishing all his commitments with the Cuban Boxing Team.

Liranza, who is expected to arrive on Aug. 9, will reinforce the national coaching staff in preparing the Filipino simonpures in their quest for the overall title in the boxing event of the Southeast Asian Games set Nov. 27 to Dec. 5 in Bacolod City.

"We have been expecting him since late June but two prior commitments of the Cuban government as well as the flight schedule prevented him from coming in earlier," Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) president Manny Lopez said.

"Now that he is winding up his commitment with the Cuban national team, we could now arrange his flight schedule, and hopefully, he will have the time to augment the training of our national boxers before they (boxers) plunge into action in the SEA Games," added Lopez.

Lopez said that Liranza is ending his stint with the Cuban national team participating in an international tournament of Carabobo Festival in Caracas, Venezuela. Prior to this Liranza was also tapped by his government to head the Cuban delegation to the World Cup held in Russia.

According to Lopez, Liranza, being a very efficient national coach, and credited for the two out of six gold medals of Cuba in the Athens Olympics, had a hard time getting the permission from the Cuban government to take a leave to train and coach the Philippine boxing team.

"With him around, he could help our coaching staff to neutralize the threat of Thailand, which, undoubtedly, will be our main rival for the gold medals in boxing," Lopez said.

Aside from Thailand, which now has won three gold medals in Olympic boxing, Indonesia looms as another threat to the Filipinos’ quest but Lopez is just wary of the Thais.

"Even if it is the SEA Games, we are up against a formidable world class foe in Thailand," said Lopez. "Indonesia is also a power but our boys will be able to cope with them."

Lopez said that he is hoping Liranza will now be able to accompany the Nationals when they see action in the Acropolis Cup in Greece on Oct 9 to 14. Other international tournaments lined up for theRP squad in prepraration for the SEA Games are the Senior Asian Boxing Championships in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, from Aug. 28 to Sept. 5; Narantuul in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, from Sept. 15 to 20; Tammer Cup from Oct. 19-24 in Tampere, Finland; and the World Championships in Miangyang, China, from Nov. 5 to 15.

The boxers are currently holed up in Baguio City.