Lopez added to Asiad roster

Welterweight Wilfredo Lopez was recently included in the Philippine boxing team bound for the Asian Games in Guangzhou this November but won’t be available to fight in the warm-up Tammer Cup in Finland on Oct. 14-17.

ABAP executive director Ed Picson initially left out Lopez from the roster because of a right hand injury. But after renowned physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Dr. Tyrone Reyes examined Lopez and prescribed a physical therapy program to prepare him for Guangzhou, Picson had no second thoughts in adding his name to the ABAP cast of five males and one female.

Lopez, 24, is from Kiamba, Sarangani – the province that Manny Pacquiao represents in Congress. He will fight in the 69-kilogram welterweight division in the Asiad.

Dr. Reyes said Lopez’ X-Ray showed only a minor chip fracture of the ulnar styloid process which is already healing. “Definitely no need for surgery or further casting or splinting,” continued Dr. Reyes. “I have prescribed appropriate physical therapy treatments at PCSM (Philippine Center for Sports Medicine) for him. I’m checking him again in three weeks time. Expect full recovery. He should be able to join the team for the Asian Games. There’s sufficient time for intensive rehab to allow him to recover and participate in Guangzhou.”

The others in the Philippine squad are lightflyweight (46-49 kilograms) Victorio Saludar, 19, flyweight (49-52) Rey Saludar, 22, bantamweight (52-56) Charly Suarez, 22, lightwelterweight (60-64) Delfin Boholst, 25, and female flyweight (48-51) Annie Albania, 27.

Lightweight (56-60) Joegin Ladon, 29, would’ve joined the team but suffered an ACL injury in his right knee during a sparring session in San Francisco recently. Ladon was part of the delegation of 11 fighters, including seven males, sent by ABAP to San Francisco and Los Angeles for training.

“When Joegin pivoted, he hurt his knee and crumpled to the canvas,” said Picson. “He wanted to go on but was limping quite badly.”

Picson said the ABAP coaching staff of Pat Gaspi, Roel Velasco, Nolito Velasco and Ronald Chavez checked out the Fil-Ams assembled by University of San Francisco varsity boxing coach Angelo Merino in tryouts at the Koret Health and Recreation Center. Unfortunately, they were greenhorns.

Boxing guru Hermie Rivera brought his discovery from Indiana, 18-year-old middleweight Julian Santos Chua, to San Francisco but the 5-9 Golden Gloves state titlist showed up with a hand injury. Chua’s father even drove three days from Indiana to meet with the ABAP staff.

“Julian tried his best to show what he could do with one hand but it just didn’t work out,” said Picson. “Even Freddie Roach told me the kid’s too raw. We wouldn’t be able to justify including him in our team for the Asian Games. Nobody gets a free ride. What would the others in our national pool say if they saw this kid come in from nowhere to fight in the Asian Games? Besides, I wouldn’t risk Julian getting hurt in the ring. He has no international experience and in Guangzhou, we expect veterans to compete.”

Picson said the ABAP coaching staff allowed Chua to join the boxing drills so his coordination and reflexes could be tested. In the spinning helicopter drill, he couldn’t finish on his feet. And in the sprints, he started strong but faded fast.

“The kid has potential but the problem is nobody trains him,” said Picson. “He works out in the garage of their house. He’s practically a beginner compared to the fighters in our pool. He needs a trainer and has to prove himself. At this point, it would be difficult to justify spending for a ticket to bring him to Manila.”

Picson said he thumbed down a proposal to include bantamweight Nesthy Petecio as the country’s lightweight bet in Guangzhou. The women’s competition is limited to three divisions – flyweight, lightweight (56-60) and middleweight (69-75). Petecio, 18, fought in the 54-kilogram category at the recent AIBA World Women’s Championships in Barbados. A jump to the 56-60 kilogram division will be suicidal.

A problem that the Philippines faces in the Asiad is the absence of a Filipino referee-judge. Only Roger Fortaleza qualifies as an Asian Games referee-judge with a three-star rating but he has committed to officiate in the World Series of Boxing in November. The Philippines has six two-star referees-judges but they’re not eligible for Guangzhou. The six are Mar de Guia, Dante de Castro, Darcy Teodoro, Tito Dacuma, Jess San Esteban and Celestino Revamonte.

Picson said he plans to work out a schedule for the two-star arbiters to join AIBA tournaments where their performance will be evaluated for possible elevation to three-star status.

In their final warm-up tournament before the Asian Games, four Filipino fighters will compete in the Tammer Cup. The Saludar brothers, Suarez and Boholst will fly to Finland on Oct. 13 for the all-male tournament that is expected to attract an international cast. Picson said contenders from all over the world will check in for the annual event. Lopez will sit out the competition to complete his therapy in Manila.