RP WOMEN'S BOXING TEAM RETURNS VICTORIOUS
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 07 Nov 2009
The victorious Philippine women’s boxing team returned home richer from taking part in the on-going Asian Indoor Games in experience which its members and their coaches believe augurs well in their campaign in the coming 25th Southeast Asian Games scheduled next month in Laos.
“For one, we in the coaching staff and the girls themselves have learned what we still lack as far as skills which we hope we can address with more or less a month more before the Games,” assistant coach Roel Velasco assessed yesterday during the SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session at the Kamayan Restaurant-Padfe Faura.
“Napakalaking bagay ang pagkasali namin sa Asian Indoor Games kasi namulat ang mga mata namin kung ano-ano pang bagay ang dapat ma-adjust para ma-improve pa ang performance ng mga bata (Our participation in the Asian Indoor Games opened our eyes to what are the things we should improve) ,” Velasco, winner of the bronze medal in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, added.
Head coach Licero “Boy” Catolico Jr., for his part said the five-member squad, which won a gold medal,m a silver and a bronze medal, had finally been given the international experience that exposed the girls , not only on international brand of competition, but on the new rules in the scoring system.
“The Asian Indoor Games has adopted the new rules on how blows are being scored, so it somewhat surprised the girls who found it hard to deliver blows that would count for points, especially the new ones," Caxtolico explained.
“Kaya nga nagpapasasalamat kami sa PSC (Philippine Sports Commission) at pinayagan kaming lumaban doon at sa Philippine Olympic Committee, ABAP(Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines) na nakipaglaban para kami mapasama sa Vietnam (That's why we are very thnkful to the PSC, the POC and ABAP for alalowing us to join the trip to vietnam” Catolico said.
The boxers agreed – gold medalist Annie Albania, silver medalist Mitchel Martinez, bronze medalist Josie Gabuco and Alice kate Aparri – who also appeared as guest in the public service forum, sponsored by ACCEL.
Albania, Martinez and company chorused that the experience they gained in fighting at least four times against world-class opponents had given them the needed weapons to win medals for the country in the Laos Games.
Also in the session are national judo coaches Danilo Crosby and Loreta Mendoza and members of the judo team Gilbert Ramirez, Jayson Senales, Lloyd Dennis Catipon, Karen Ann Solomon, Helen Dawa, Ruth Dugaduga and Jennie Lou Mosquesa.
John Baylon, who will be batting for a record ninth straight gold medal in the SEA Games, Nancy Quillotes and Fil-Japanese hoshina Tomohiko are all in Japan for the last phawe of their preparations at the Tsukuba University.
The judo team, incidentally, is one of several sports adversely affected by the long-running feud between the PSC and the POC as only four of its members – Baylon, Quillotes, Tomohiko and Solomon – will be funded by the PSC based on its gold and silver-medal criteria.
Ramirez, gold medalist in the 2003 and 2005 SEA Games, winner in her division, also in the 2003 and 2005 editions, Dugaduga, silver and bronze medalist in the 2005 and 2007 Games, Senales, third place in 2007, and first-timers Catipon and Mosqueda have been endorsed by the POC.
Athletes certified by the PSC are entitled to all benefits accruing members of the national team as sets of parade, social and competition uniforms, trvel allowances as welal as free meals, while those not certified by the government agency only have plane fares and sets of uniforms furnished by the governing body of amateur sports.
Although they admitted they didn’t mind not enjoying the benefits provided to those sanctioned by the POC, help but fell discriminated upon, expecially during meal time when they see their teammates proceeding to the PSC canteen and they mending for themselves.
“Hindi naman kami naghahanap dahil alam namin ang situwasyon, pero kung makita mong yung kasama namin kumakain at kami ay maghahanap pa ng makakainan, medyo masaket din (Not that we are complaining, but when we see our teammates entititled to meals, while us scrounging for food, it hurts) ” one member who requested not to be identified for obvious reason, said.
“Basta ang buong team ang battlecry: ‘Gold medal or nothing’ upang patunayan lamang na kami ay atleta din na kailangang kumain para magdala ng karangalan sa bayan (that's why we adopete a battlecry: 'Gold or nothing' to prove that we are also national athleters who need to eat in order for us to carry the countty's colors in international competitions),” the national judokas said in unison.
Top photo: The Philippine Women's Boxing Team during the presscon at SCOOP.
World champion Annie Albania poses with SCOOP prexy Eddie Alinea, the author.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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