Winning RP?s first gold in 2012 Olympics not that remote
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 24 Dec 2009
The Filipino athletes had performed better in the Olympic sports in the last 25th Southeast Asian Games than in the immediate past editions of the biennial conclave when their predecessors excelled more in events not played in the Olympic Games.
The Filipino athletes, displaying resiliency and determination to win despite odds, had brought home a total 29 gold medals in 10 Olympic sports in what could serve as sign that it won?t be long before the Philippines would end its long, 85-year gold-medal draught in the quadrennial sporting extravaganza otherwise known as ?The Greatest Sports Show on Earth.?
Sports where the country?s hopes are the brightest ? boxing and taekwondo ? accounted for nine gold medals with the Filipino simonpures scooting up five and the jins four.
Three of the boxers? production cane from three lady fighters where, according to Manny Pacquiao?s American trainer Freddie Roach will most-likely come the Philippines? first ever gold medal in the Olympic Games.
Leading the distaff side?s haul was flyweight Annie Albania, whose style of fighting, according to Roach who watched her fight during the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines? box-off a few months ago in Baguio City, is what matters in Olympic boxing.
?You?re very good,? Roach told Albania during one of the SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session held before he and Team Pacquiao left for Los Angeles for the latter?s fight with Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto.
?I little more polishing and I think she?d be ripe for the 2012 Olympic Games.? He told women?s team coaches Boy Catolico and Barcelona bronze medalist Roel Velasco.
True enough the 24-year-old Albania won her gold, her second consecutive in Games counting her similar victory in Thailand two years ago, via a stoppage.
Also winning their divisions that could lined them up for slots in the national team to the 2012 Games are pinweight Josie Gabuco and light-flyweight Alice Kate Appari, the latter also winning via a referee stopped contest.
Rounding out the boxers? five-gold medal production were pinweight Bill Vicera and featherweight Charly Suarez in the men?s play.
Of the four gold medals the Filipinojins took home came from Tsomlee Go and Mary Antoinette Rivero, who, if both continue fighting, could earn their third straight Olympic stints and, perhaps shoot for the gold medals, too.
Alexander Briones? triumph in the heavyweight category in taekwondo, likewise, put him in good stead to make it to the RP Olympic squad in his sport, unlike the trio of Carla Lagman, Rani Ann Ortega and Francesca Alarilla who combined talent in new event poomsae, which is not an Olympic event.
Other winners of events played in quadrennial conclave ? seven in athletics, four in swimming, three in wrestling, two each in tennis and judo and one each in karatedo, archery and shooting can also earned slots in the 2012 Games but their chances of quenching the Filipinos? thirst for a gold medal would need a miracle.
They are Rene Herrera, Arniel Ferrera, Rosie Villarito, Danilo Fresnido, Maristela Torres, Jho-An Banayag and Eduardo Buenavista in athletics; Miguel Molina, Ryan Arabejo and Daniel Oakley in swimming; Margarito Angana, Jimmy angina and Jasoln balabal in wrestling; Cecil Mamiit and Treat Huey in tennis; John Baylon and Nancy Quillotes in judo; Nathaniel ?Tac? Padilla in shooting; Marna Pabillore in karatedo and Jennifer Chan in archery.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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