Olympic gold RP boxers next target

The Filipino amateur boxers won’t rest on their laurels after regaining supremacy in the Southeast Asian Games, hoping to sustain the momentum of their SEAG success in a determined bid to finally end the country’s search for a first-ever Olympic gold medal in Beijing in 2008.

Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines president Manny Lopez made known their lofty goal stressing SEA Games championship would fuel its bid for the Olympic feat.

"The Olympic gold in its mind, ABAP promises to ride the momentum of its SEAG success," said Lopez.

The Philippines won eight gold medals, four each in the men’s and women’s categories, to regain the overall championship in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games and cap the accomplishments of the ABAP for the year 2005.

"Mission Accomplished," said Lopez, under whose watch the country’s men and women’s amateur boxers were able to show the world their prowess as they traded punches with rivals in places like Baku, Azerbaijan; St. Petersburg, Russia; Tampere, Finland; Mianyang, China; Istanbul, Turkey; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Bangkok, Thailand; Karachi, Pakistan; Sri Lanka and Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

The country also hosted the inaugural International Joint Training program in Baguio City featuring European Olympic medalists last November before capping the productive year by deposing long time champion Thailand in the 23rd SEA Games in Bacolod City.

The foreign trips of the ABAP boxers were gigantic but Lopez, also secretary general of Federation of Asian Amateur Boxing and senior member of the powerful Technical and Rules Committee of the ruling International Amateur Boxing Association, pointed out that the foreign trips were achieved with minimal help from the government.

Lopez said that the ABAP got a total of P3 million from sponsor Ginebra San Miguel through the First Gentlemen Foundation for the year. ABAP also received much lower subsidies compared with the other national sports associations.

"But I’m not complaining. I’ve always stressed that an NSA must find ways to fund itself and not rely too much on government support," Lopez said. "This is the reason why sponsors from the private sector like Touch Mobile and Pacific Heights responded to our appeal," added Lopez.

The first international joint training program was a fine example of ABAP’s self-reliance.

"Not a single government money was spent," Lopez noted. The event attracted world-class Olympic boxers from Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, Australia, Brazil and Sri Lanka.

Light flyweight Harry Tañamor remains the country’s biggest draw while lightweight and two-time Asian champion Mitchel Martinez has increased consciousness on women’s boxing.

But ABAP’s grassroots programs continued to bear results. While Tanamor, pinweight Juanito Magliquian and Martinez re-stamped their class on their respective divisions, ABAP also unveiled two future world beaters in bantamweight Joan Tipon and lightweight Genebert Basadre who seem to have the skills and built to shine come the 2006 Doha, Qatar, Asian Games and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"ABAP through its Touch Mobile-Go for Gold" program is not letting up in its search for new talents in the grassroots," Lopez said. Tipon and Basadre are the newest additions."

Tipon, a Negrense, showed his worth by emerging as best boxer in the Senior Asian Boxing Championships in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam last August.