Coaches get overdue bonuses

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino coaches who helped the country win medals in past Olympics yesterday received their long-overdue cash incentives.

“Finally, the government gave us what we’ve always asked for,” said Nolito Velasco of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines.

Velasco, along with Gregorio Caliwan, formed a formidable coaching duo that led to an Olympic silver and two bronze medals in boxing for the country.

They helped Leopoldo Serrantes win the bronze in 1988 in Seoul, Roel Velasco another bronze in 1992 in Barcelona, and Onyok Velasco a silver in Atlanta in 1996.

Velasco, who remains with the ABAP coaching staff, and Caliwan will get the bulk of the P2.775 million that was awarded by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. to the coaches.

Others who will have a share are boxing coaches Pat Gaspi, Orlando Tacuyan Sr. and Ricardo Fortaleza for the Asian Games victories of fighters Elias Recaido, Reynaldo Galido and Roberto Jalnaiz.

“After all these years of our coaching, we finally received the blessings,” added Velasco.

“We thank the new leadership of Pagcor that in less than a month they were able to release the incentives for past victories,” said Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richie Garcia.

“And we thank Pagcor for this, considering that some of these victories came in the 1980s,” said Garcia during the turnover at the Pagcor main office at Hyatt Manila.

Also released was the P500,000 incentive to Miguel White who won the bronze in the men’s 400-m hurdles of the 1936 Berlin Olympics.