Boxing needs total reprogramming, genuine change
By Recah Trinidad
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 14 Aug 2016
IT MAY be a disaster, a debacle, an anomaly, disgrace and scandal. By any name, the shameful showing of the two over-hyped, over-traveled, overfed Filipino boxers in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics was a super boo-boo that caused a horrible stink.
With the monumental foulness, the head of the national amateur boxing agency had no choice but try and step out of the unbearable scene.
Ricky Vargas, president of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (Abap), offered to resign. At the same time, he blindly suggested that national boxing superhero Manny Pacquiao take over his post.
* * *
Pacquiao did not tarry. He readily agreed to serve.
Yes, why not, Pacquiao said: ?Susuportahan ko ang boxing, diyan ako nanggaling.?
Great move, and this could only mean the national amateur boxing body can now look forward to fresh crucial changes.
* * *
Relevant rehabilitation should be forthcoming, although we?ll never know how and when.
Meanwhile, everything in the national amateur backyard hangs.
The Abap executive director, whose duty it is to explain, if not admit, where they had failed, has been unheard of, so far.
* * *
Well, in case they haven?t realized, Tokyo 2020 is closer than they think, if we consider how the Abap has wantonly squandered golden opportunities these past eight years.
They can?t go on with the coreless grope-fly-and-miss method applied by the ruling national boxing body in the last two Olympics.
In fact, Manny Lopez, head of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines responsible for the last Philippine boxing medal, the silver won by Mansueto Velasco in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, came out firing by crying that big money alone can?t vouch for medals in the
Olympics, alluding to the boundless financial assistance given by the MVP Group of Companies to the national boxing body.
* * *
Getting to the core of the problem, Lopez also decried how the Olympics and other foreign competitions had been freely turned into sightseeing tours by certain lead amateur boxing officials.
Lopez did not say it, but the sorry situation in the national boxing backyard cries for genuine change.
A total reprogramming is imperative. We hereby suggest studying the secret of world boxing power Mexico, whose successful program, anchored on an informal boxing academy, was bared to this reporter by the late Don Jose Sulaiman, longest serving president of the World
Boxing Council. We will detail that secret, intended for the Philippine Sports Commission, in the next column.
Photo: The Abap team in Singapore.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Recah Trinidad.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
The Past Week in Action 16 June 2025: Hitchins Stops Kambosos; Wins by Andy Cruz and Teremoana; Donaire Returns
By Eric Armit, Tue, 17 Jun 2025THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 9 - MUHAMMAD ALI WINS WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
By Maloney L. Samaco, Tue, 17 Jun 2025OKC Nears First NBA Title in Thunder Era; Outclasses Indiana, 120-109 in Game 5
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Tue, 17 Jun 2025Crawford Refutes #3 P4P Ranking; WBA Doesn't Forget Nonito Donaire
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Tue, 17 Jun 2025GM John Paul Gomez joins Touchmove in Roxas City
By Marlon Bernardino, Tue, 17 Jun 2025Perfect foe, perfect outcome
By Joaquin Henson, Tue, 17 Jun 2025Prospects Collide Results: Rajon Chance Defeats Yan Carlos Perez
Tue, 17 Jun 2025Undefeated Russian super middleweight Petr “The Surgeon” Khamukov to headline This Friday in Long Beach on DAZN
Tue, 17 Jun 2025International Boxing & MMA Consultants Appointed to serve as El Salvador Professional Combat Sport Commission
Tue, 17 Jun 2025Sasotize teams champion and 1st runner up in 2nd JCI Senate Chess Tourney
By Marlon Bernardino, Tue, 17 Jun 2025USA Boxing’s Elite High Performance Team Concluded World Boxing Championship 2025 With Nine Medals
Mon, 16 Jun 2025"The Filipino Flash" Nonito Donaire Makes Stunning Comeback, Wins Interim WBA 118-lbs Title in Argentina!! (PHOTOS)
By Carlos Costa, Sun, 15 Jun 2025DAZN is Set to Make Exciting Debut in Thailand with Thrilling Dream Boxing/Highland Boxing Show
By Carlos Costa, Sun, 15 Jun 2025Hitchins Dominates, Stops Kambosos Jr. in Eighth Round to Retain IBF Super Lightweight Title
By Dong Secuya, Sun, 15 Jun 2025THAI SIMSRI READY FOR CHRISTIAN ARANETA IN IBF WORLD TITLE SHOWDOWN THURSDAY IN JAPAN; WILL THE CEBUANO “BOMB” STOP HIM?
By Carlos Costa, Sun, 15 Jun 2025