RP boxers aim to go all-out in SEAG
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 02 Dec 2009
Regaining the country?s status as Southeast Asia?s boxing kingpin, members of the national team promised to kill themselves if only to prove that their predecessors? lone gold-medal harvest two years ago was not as it should be.
?Patay kung patay,? was how Qatar Asia Games gold medalist Joan Tipon relayed his and his teammates? sentiment when asked about the boxing team?s coming campaign in the 2009 Southeast Asian Games. The soft-spoken fighter from Negros Occidental appeared with the rest of the national squad in the weekly PSA Forum Tuesday at the Shakey?s U.N. Avenue branch.
Tipon?s statement could have best described the sentiment of his teammates on the overall outlook of a team seeking to redeem the country of the debacle that happened in 2007 in Thailand where the Philippines sent 13 fighters to the finals, seven in the men?s division and six in the women?s play.
Perceived unfair officiating that led delegation officials to order a boycott in the men?s finals, the nationals settled for just a single gold, courtesy of flyweight Annie Albania, and 12 silver medals during the 24th staging of the biennial conclave.
And with no more of that bias, the boxing team vows to go all-out this time.
?Yung gold pagla-labanan pa lang, pero kukunin namin `yun at hindi ibibigay sa kalaban,? assured women?s coach Boy Catolico.
Also in the forum with Albania, Tipon and Catolico were men?s coach Pat Gaspi, veterans Harry Tanamor and Mitchel Martinez and SEA Games newcomer Charlie Suarez in the forum presented by Outlast Battery, PAGCOR, Accel and Shakey?s.
Rounding out the RP team are are Alice Kate Aparri and Josie Gabuco in the distaff side and Bill Vicera, Charlie Suarez and Joegin Ladon in the men?s squad.
Martinez, Ladon and Aparri accounted for three of that 12 silver-medal haul.
Of the lot, all eyes are focused on Albania, not only because she?s gunning for a third straight gold in the SEA Games, but, likewise, because the former javelin thrower from the University of the East is also coming off a gold medal showing in the recent Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam.
That lone gold by Albania in the Third edition of the Indoor meet made her the hands-down choice as the country?s official flag bearer during SEA Games opening rite.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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