Casimero at SCOOP sa Kamayan (Part II)
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 20 Feb 2012
There are certain things that should not happen in this competitive world of sports. A boxer shouldn?t hit somebody outside of the squared arena, especially if the latter is a non-fighter for doing so is not only a crime, he could also lose his license to fight.
Newly-crowned Filipino International Boxing Federation interim junior-flyweight champion John Riel Casimero knows this, reason why despite being attack by the crowd in a post-fight riot that followed his 10th round technical knockout victory in Buenos Aires, Argentina a week ago, he did not retaliate.
?Gigil na gigil; na ako dahil sa suntok, sipa at palo ng silya na inabot ko at ng members ng team ko, pero hindi ako makaganti dahil malamang nga mabawian ako ng lisensya at saka baka mas lalong pang lumala ang situwasyon. Nasa ibang bansa kami at baka mapahamak kaming lahat,? Casimero narrated during last Friday?s SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session at the Kamayan Restaurant-Padre Faura.
(I really was ready to fight back from the puches and chairs thrown at me, kicks, everything, but I couldn?t because I fear losing my license and the situation could become more serious)
?Naka-televised pa kasi yung gulo at siguradong makikita ako ng lahat ng boxing authority kapag gumanti ako ng suntok (The commotion was still televised and Iwas sure it can be seen by boxing authoriies),? he told his audience in the forum, sponsored by Coca Cola, FILA and UNTV. ?At saka nakakahiya sa ibang bansa kasi Pilipino ako at dala naming ang bandilang Pilipino doon (Besides, it could be very embarrassing for the country. I am a Filipino and I am carrying the country?s flag there).?
?Pero noong mahulog ako sa ring at punta sa ilalim, hindi na ako nakatiis lalo nang Makita kong niyayapakan na angating bandila na halos magkaluray-luray. Lahat ng taong patuloy na umaatake sa akin, pinagsiswipa ko na lang. Ayoko pa rin kasing manuntok, baka may makakita (But when I fell off the ring and ended up under it, I could no longer help but strike back by kicking all those still attacking me upon seeing our flag being trampled upon),? he said.
?Maliit na nga at mahirap lamang ang bayan natin, pero hindi naman dapat na yurakan ito lalo na ng mga taga-ibang bansa,? Casimero, 22, ?Tata? to Fans and relatives who hails from Ormoc City declared.
Right after referee Eddie Claudio stopped the scheduled 12-round bout and even before the ring announcer proclaimed Casimero the winner, the Lazarte?s fans also punched and kicked the new champion, members of his team, including his manager Sammy Gello-ani and Claudio himself by those who succeeded finding their way atop the ring.
The IBF has sinced banned the 40-year-old Lazarte for life.
Gello-ani, who accompanied Casimero to the SCOOP session, showed Peoples? letter to members of the Sports Communicators Organization of the furnished to him by Casimero?s American corner man Sean Gibbons, who suffered two broken ribs as a result of the violent commotion.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, has filed a motion to recall the Philippine Ambassador to Argentina as a result of the incident. He also moved to call on the Argentine Ambassador to the Philippines to explain his government?s side on what happened.
Gello-ani appreciated Enrile?s moves, in order, he said to correct some lapses of the government side in its duty to protect Filipinos, including athletes, going overseas to practice their professions.
?We arrive in Buenos Aires Monday. John Riel fought Friday and in that span of five days, not one embassy personnel even visited us,? Gello-ani lamented. ?Dapat kasi ang GAB (Games and Amusement Board) should advise the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) of a Filipino boxer going abroad to fight. The DFA then advise the Philippine Embassy in the country where the fight is scheduled.?
?Kahit naman walang advise, siguro naman ang mga taga-embassy ay nagbabasa ng dyaryo at malalamn nila na may isang Pilipino na dumating sa kanilang lugar para lumaban (Granting that there were lapses in advising those concerned, have the embassy people not been reading newspapers announcing the fight involving a Filipino?? he added.
Casimero?s manager-promoter, likewise, thanked Leyte Congresswoman Lucy Torres-Gomez for filing a resolution at the Lower House commending Casimero for his title victory and for inviting his team to next week?s session.
Also during the SCOOP session, Gello-ani was all praise in thanking one Argentine he named Oswaldo Prado, who he said provided the shield on the 22-year-old Casmero in the one and-a-half hours that the Filipino stayed under the ring.
?We were so confused really that when John Riel fell from the ring, we didn?t know what happened to him. We didn?t know that he was hid by Prado there and kept watch over him for one and-a-half hours,? he recalled. ?Kaya nang tahimik na ang lahat, ibinigay ko ang jacket ko sa kanya as a token of appreciation for what he did.?
He was also very thankful for the police and military security accorded the team, escorting them to the hotel they were staying and remaining in the hotel vicinity until the time of their departure the next morning.
Gello-ani recalled that at the height of the commotion, he saw Lazarte?s son he named Diego even joined in attacking John Riel. John Riel didn?t know that because he even gave Lazarte?s son his jacket.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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