Stronger shot at elusive 1st Olympic gold
WHEN Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco lost his gold medal bout against a fleet-footed Bulgarian in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the tiny warrior cried while Filipino boxing officials blamed messy technical scoring for the controversial setback.
In the 1964 Olympics, the late Anthony Villanueva was deprived of the featherweight gold, despite having clearly manhandled a bloodied Russian foe, in what would be called a daytime robbery in the Tokyo Summer Games.
In both instances, Villanueva and Velasco relied heavily on the relentless combative style of Filipino boxers, who loved being told they were following in the legendary footsteps of champions Pancho Villa and Flash Elorde, the most famous Filipino ring warriors of their time.
In the cases of Villanueva and Velasco, the objective explanation would be that both of them would’ve been declared clear winners had their amateur Olympic bouts been judged and scored the way they did it in the pros.
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The silver medal feats of Villanueva and Velasco were the closest the Philippines could come to landing its elusive first Olympic gold medal.
All other attempts by Filipino boxers after Atlanta failed, the last one with diminutive Mark Anthony Barriga winning his first bout, before running into a wily and much taller foe who controlled the fight by out-wrestling the hapless PH bet in the 2014 London Olympics.
Meanwhile, the boxing program of the Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (Abap) was left with no clear direction after a disappointing stint by the national boxers in the last Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.
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There was no hint of better things to come as the national boxers quietly headed to Singapore for the 28th edition of the Southeast Asian Games earlier in the month.
But in a phenomenal twist, the PH team beat the favored Thai squad to dominate the boxing event with a total of 5 gold medals, 3 silvers and 2 bronzes, for a rousing 10-medal output.
Not that it was totally expected, but Abap executive director Ed Picson said that adjustments to the new rules and conduct of international tournaments, including the 10-point, must-scoring system, proved of tremendous help to the successful campaign.
“We changed our style, we took charge, lusob na,” Picson explained. “You must be aggressive, that’s what judges are looking for, even if you’re stepping back, you must throw punches.”
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Picson went on to explain that, while before, the technical style of Gerry Peñalosa would work, what they need now is the aggressiveness of Manny Pacquiao, because it clicks.
There will be a premium on competent, courageous combat as the national boxing team moves on in search of slots for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Anyway, while it’s too early to say if the changes and adjustments would, as a whole, prove to be the missing link in the long, lonely quest for a PH Olympic gold medal, there promise to be stronger, bigger punches from Filipino fighters hereon.
Pray these new weapons would be sharper and more accurate, too.
