MANILA, Philippines – Gemiliano “Mel” Lopez, who once headed amateur boxing in the country, had always dreamed of a Filipino boxer winning the elusive gold in the Olympics.
Well, the former president of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) and ex-mayor of Manila will never get to see that day.
Lopez passed away Sunday evening after suffering a heart attack just as the rest of the country was celebrating the New Year.
He was 81.
Lopez’s son, Manila Rep. Manny Lopez, told The STAR that the former Manila mayor did his best trying to steer a Filipino boxer to the Olympic gold.
“It’s sad because it has always been his dream. Pangarap niya talaga ‘yun,” said the younger Lopez over the phone.
“He really worked on grassroots development and he tried his best,” said Lopez, who took over the presidency of ABAP when his father stepped down.
“He did his best. We did our best. I only hope that we were able to contribute to the development of Philippine sports,” he said.
As head of amateur boxing from 1987 to 1993, Lopez steered the country to great heights in the international arena, whether it was the Southeast Asian Games, the Asian Games or the Olympics.
Medals came in abundance in the SEA Games but it was in the Asian Games and the Olympics where boxing, under his watch, struck hard.
In the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Leopoldo Serrantes won the bronze medal in the light-flyweight division, and in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, it was Roel Velasco who brought home the bronze, also in the 48 kg division.
In the 1990 Asian Games, the Philippines won the gold courtesy of bantamweight Roberto Jalnaiz, on top of three bronze medals through light-fly Elias Recaido, lightweight Leopoldo Cantancio and light-welterweight Arlo Chavez.
“We had the talent and we developed it,” said Lopez, who became chief of amateur boxing until 1998 when he gave way to Ricky Vargas.
In the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima, Filipino boxers continued to deliver, winning three gold medals courtesy of Mansueto Velasco, Recaido and Reynaldo Galido.
Then in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Velasco came very close to winning the country’s first gold medal but settled for the silver.
“It was so near yet so far,” said the incumbent Manila congressman.
“Nakakalungkot lang (It’s just sad) because my father had always dreamed of the Olympic gold,” he said.
The dream lives on.