MANILA, 9 January 2004 — Harry Tanamor, the country’s lone gold medalist in the Vietnam SEA Games, banners a battle-tested nine-man team seeking slots for the 2004 Athens Olympics in the 22nd Asian Boxing First Olympic boxing qualifying tournament from Jan. 10-18 at the Puerto Princesa City Coliseum.
Joining Tanamor, a light-flyweight to the team selected by the ABAP national coaching staff headed by Gregorio Caliwan, Boy Velasco and Pat Gaspi, are flyweight Violito Payla, Sydney Olympian and bantamweight Arlan Lerio, featherweight Junard Ladon, lightweight Florencio Ferrer, lightwelterweight Mark Jason Melligen, welterweight Francis Joven, middleweight Chris Camat and light heavyweight Maraon Golez.
A total of 24 slots from 11 weight division are up for grabs in the gigantic event which has already attracted leading boxers from not less than 25 Asian countries.
“Palawan and Puerto Princesa are honored to play a major part in the country’s search for its first Olympic gold. We are confident that a Filipino qualifier from our home will go on to triumph in Athens,” said Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes and Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn.
Both political bigwigs promised of a memorable and successful qualifying.
“No stones will be left unturned to make this event a roaring success.” Said Gov. Reyes and Mayor Hagedorn.”We welcome our foreign friends with open arms and pray for the success of the Philippine team.”
Tough Job Cut Out for POC Officials
With the holidays over, officials of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) are expected to buckle down to work soon to resolve leadership disputes in various national sports associations and lay the groundwork for a smooth preparation for the 2005 Southeast Asian Games.
The biggest sporting event awaiting the country this year is the 2004 Athens Olympics in August but, like in the past, only the boxers are expected to contend for medals, leaving the POC free to deal with the squabbling NSAs in basketball, softball and archery.
POC secretary-general Romeo Rivano said the controversies should be resolved as soon as possible so as not to disrupt the two-year preparations for the 2005 SEA Games.
“We have to tackle these controversies,” Ribano said. “We have to determine kung sino ang leaders ng mga NSAs na ito para sa pagpe-prepare natin sa 2005.”
The POC deferred action on the controversies swirling around basketball, softball and archery to concentrate on the country’s campaign in last month’s SEA Games in Vietnam. For starters, the POC will have to determine which group of leaders to recognize in the Basketball Association of the Philippines. The group of Graham Lim and former coach Nic Jorge are contesting the right to represent the BAP.
Bowling, Golf, Baseball in 2005 SEAG
Bowling, golf and baseball — junked by Vietnam organizers in the 2003 Southeast Asian Games — will make a big return in the 2005 edition of the biennial meet in Manila. “Definitely these three sports will be included in the calendar of events,” said Celso Dayrit, president of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).
“Bowling, golf and baseball are regular events in the SEA Games,” said Dayrit. “It is only logical that they be included.”
Dayrit is also mulling the inclusion of arnis to promote the local version of the self-defense technique. “Taekwondo, judo and kickboxing became international sporting events. We can also promote arnis to international level,” said Dayrit, recalling arnis has been featured in one of Bruce Lee’s films entitled “Game of Death” with former NBA superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Filipino arnis specialist Dan Inosanto in the cast.
Philippines, Thailand Boost Athletics Program
The Philippines is set to forge a partnership with Thailand in a rigid, large-scale program to discover and train young track and field athletes for future international events. Acknowledging the country’s potential in athletics, the Thailand national track and field body has also offered to work in tandem with the Philippines in holding new junior events between the two countries.
“Thailand knows that we are its strongest rival in athletics,” said Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (Patafa) president Go Teng Kok. “That’s why we are joining hands with Thailand in putting up a strong grassroots development program.”
Go is set to fly to Bangkok Jan. 18 to finalize the partnership and at the same time attend the Asian Grand Prix commission meeting there.
For starters, Thailand and the Philippines have agreed to hold their national open tournaments just one week apart to allow maximum participation from both countries.
Thailand was overall champion in athletics during the recent Vietnam Southeast Asian Game with 13 golds, while the Philippines was second with eight in a tie with Malaysia and Vietnam.
“Eight golds is too few compared to the 46 gold medals staked (in athletics),” said Go. “But everybody must understand that we are concentrating only in 20 events to make the most out of the money given to us by the Philippine Sports Commission.”
Boxer Succumbs to Brain Injury
Boxer Emar Juarez died recently at the Cebu Doctors Hospital, five days after getting knocked out by Rockey Fuentes in the fourth round of a scheduled eight-round minimum weight bout on Dec. 28 in Danao City. The 25-year-old Juarez suffered a knock down in the second round and was counted out in a kneeling position in the fourth. He underwent emergency surgery hours later when neurosurgeons found swelling around his brain.
The remains of Juarez, 25, a former Philippine Boxing Federation champion, was shipped to his native Cagayan de Oro City on board the Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Juarez’s hospital expenses, which reached over 100,000 pesos, were shouldered by Cebu boxing promoter-manager Tony Aldeguer, according to Aldeguer’s right-hand man Sammy Gello-ani.
“Of course, we would also be spending for the funeral expenses of Juarez,” said Gello-ani.
Busy Year Ahead for Cyclists
Cyclists will be in for a busy year in 2004 with two major regional mountain bike championships sharing the spotlight with the 2004 Tour Pilipinas in March and the revival of the national open later in the year.
Bert Lina, president of the Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines, or PhilCycling, said the country will host not one but two major regional mountain bike championships-the Asian and the inaugural Southeast Asian MTB.
The Asian MTB, the annual mountain bike championships that lures more than 200 world-class riders from no less than 20 Asian countries, is tentatively set in September, the same month the PhilCycling intends to revive the national cycling open that was last staged in 1993 in Iloilo.
The PhilCycling has not pinpointed a venue for the Asian MTB but has offered the hosting to any interested local government unit.
