2012 OLYMPICS: HIGH HOPES FOR BARRIGA
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 21 Jul 2012
Mark Anthony Barriga.
There are soaring expectations for the lone Filipino boxer Mark Anthony Barriga in the 2012 London Olympics. According to the International Boxing Association (AIBA) website, ?There are high hopes however that the talented teenager could go all the way and claim an unprecedented gold medal for his country. Scouting reports from the AIBA Road to London Part II program, where he is currently training, have said that the exciting southpaw is looking in tremendous form after hugely impressing the coaching set-up in Cardiff.?
Born on June 11, 1993, Barriga will try his best to equal if not surpass the achievement of other Olympic medalists. He fights in the light flyweight category (49 Kg.), the same weight class which won a silver (Mansueto Velasco Jr., Atlanta 1996), two bronzes (Roel Velasco, Barcelona 1992 and Leopoldo Serrantes, Seoul 1988) for the Philippines. Bronze medalist Velasco acts as Barriga?s coach in London.
Barriga?s international record is a proof of his growing talent. At the age of 16, he defeated Russian Youth National Champion Nikita Fedorchenko in the preliminary round of the 2010 AIBA Youth World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. He was eliminated though by the eventual silver medallist and Youth Olympic Games winner Ryan Burnett.
Barriga won the gold medal during the Sydney Jackson Memorial tournament in Uzbekistan before proceeding once again to Baku to compete at the 2011 AIBA World Boxing Championships. In that tournament, Barriga scored one of the biggest upsets when he won over 2008 Beijing Olympic bronze medalist Patrick Barnes of Ireland. He then lost to eventual winner, triple AIBA World Champion Shiming Zou of China but qualified for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Last May, he again joined the Sydney Jackson Memorial Tournament at the Universal Uzbekistan Sports Complex in Tashkent and Barriga gave an amazing performance. The Olympic medal hopeful defended his title in dominating fashion, showing remarkable supremacy over his opponents. En route to winning the gold medal, Barriga defeated Russia's AIBA World Championships silver medalist David Ayrapetyan in a genuine showcase of power.
Barriga is currently participating in the AIBA Road to London Part II training camp in the Welsh capital of Cardiff. His record and performance caught the attention of everybody in his preparation for the Olympic Games. The youthful but brilliant Filipino boxer declared, "I am delighted to be here as part of the AIBA Road to Dream initiative, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to spar with boxers from around the world, test myself against different styles, and get myself in the best possible shape before the Olympic Games".
The Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) left no stone unturned for the chances of Barriga in London. The road may not be easy but his fighting courage is excellent. All the Philippines? eyes are focused on the 19-year-old Filipino boxing sensation from Panabo City to bring home the medal and hopefully the first Olympic gold for the country.
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