RODEL MAYOL HONORED IN SAN FERNANDO
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 17 Dec 2009
WBC light flyweight champ Rodel Mayol returned to his roots in Baranggay Tubod, San Fernando, Cebu and was honored by the municipality, headed by Mayor Lakambini ?Neneth? Reluya, for his accomplishments in professional boxing.
Mayol together with his wife Lira were welcomed in the San Fernando Town Hall by Mayor Reluya and a motorcade paraded the champion with his WBC belt around the town proper. The motorcade then proceeded to Baranggay Tubod where Mayol grew up. Baranggay captain Alex Tangente of Tubod together with other local officials hosted the event held just a few meters away from the house of Mayol?s grandparents. Tribute speeches were given in his honor as well as an ?OUTSTANDING ACHEIVEMENT AWARD? plaque acknowledging his accomplishments as a professional boxer and as a source of pride and inspiration to the people of San Fernando.
In her speech, Mayor Reluya said that she plans to stage amateur boxing tournaments so that they can find more potential world champions in their municipality. Dance numbers were performed by members of the San Fernando Integrated Performing Arts Group (SIPAG). Beaming with pride in the audience was Rodel?s mother Leonisa.
The champion gave a speech thanking God and his grandparents who helped raise him. He reminisced about the time where he had to walk for several kilometres on rough roads just to get to school. Mayol spent his early elementary school years in San Fernando before moving to Mandaue City.
The 28 year old Mayol was also a mainstay of Cebu's powerhouse amateur boxing squad during the 1990's that also featured the likes of Randy Suico, Dindo Castanares, Malcolm Tunacao and Eriberto Gejon. Mayol became a world champion after winning the WBC light flyweight crown via a second-round stoppage over tough Mexican Edgar Sosa in Mexico last November. He had previously come up short four times in his attempts to win a world title. His story is a lesson in the value of persistence and self-belief.
The little guy from a small town in Cebu finally accomplished his big dream. It is a story we hope will be duplicated in the decades to come.
BACK STORIES:
The town of San Fernando is around 26 kilometers south of Cebu City. It traces its origins when the country was still a colony of Spain and a royal decree in 1858 established a new parish in this town named San Isidro Labrador. The name was later changed to San Fernando in honor of a well liked priest Fernando Sanchez and the saint after which he was named.
San Fernando consultant Neil Papas invited members of the Cebu media for the said event. T-shirts with Rodel?s likeness with the words ?Lumad ug Garbo sa Calapayan, Tubod, San Fernando, Cebu? (Native Son and Pride of Calapayan, Tubod, San Fernando, Cebu) from Mayor Neneth Reluya and the Sanfernandohanons were distributed.
The San Fernando basketball team known as the SPARTANS were also there on stage with Mayol. Tubod is far from the main town center.
Mayol?s motorcade was interrupted by a brief rainfall. I was riding shotgun with Philboxing?s Salven Lagumbay and radio station DYHP?s Francis Espares. We had to pass more than 20 kms of rough, steep and muddy roads to get to Tubod.
But it was worth it. We saw the champ being honoured and after the event, there was the usual Filipino hospitality and food.
It?s really amazing that from such a small and remote village a champion of the world would emerge.
(PHOTOS: Top (Header) photo ? Mayor Reluya (left) awarding plaque to Rodel with wife Lira (right)
Bottom photos: The champ at the San Fernando Town Hall and with the folks of Tubod)
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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