Where’s this lost Olympic hope headed?

GUANGZHOU—Of the five-man Philippine boxing team in the Asian Games, only top medal hope Charly Suarez was absent in an afternoon tea ritual held Thursday in the holding area of the softly lit training gym of the Foshan Lingnan Stadium, an hour by slow bus from this cool, flower-decked capital. Actually, Suarez, 22, no longer had any business being around for the tiny ceremony performed regularly by a firm, brown-faced, middle-aged Chinaman.
He fell off the medal chase and was reduced to a mere bag boy following a disastrous meltdown in his opening bout on Tuesday.
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“Nanduon taga-dala ng bag ni Vic (He’s out carrying the bag for Vic),” said Ed Picson, executive director of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines.
Vic is light flyweight Victorio Saludar, the country’s smallest boxing entry here who registered his first win Thursday evening, following elder brother Reynaldo’s sensational KO win in the opening bout of the boxing afternoon session.
Usually, early opening-day losers like Suarez are either reduced to tourists, if not sent back on the first plane available.
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“Nag-secret training, he went on his own,” Picson, acting father of the national boxing team, explained.
That was not easy to believe, because there were at least three national coaches watching over the five-man male squad.
“Masakit daw likod (He complained of back pains),” offered coach Nolito Velasco, elder brother of elite team mentor Roehl, an Olympic medalist.
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The Suarez setback, suffered against an unknown fighter from Kazakhstan, visibly stunned and hurt Picson.
Not only because Suarez had assumed the role of top fighter and lead bet for a slot in the 2012 London Olympics.
Members of the national coaching staff were themselves aghast because, had Suarez won, he would’ve been virtually assured of a medal considering the quality of his remaining opponents that included Petchoom Worapoj, the Thai he blasted and beat in the last MVP Cup in Manila.
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Anyway, those who saw Suarez here said the boy was neither a shell nor shadow of his sensational self.
One scribe said Suarez panicked when his foe led 2-0 in the second round. Another reporter said his timing was horribly off.
“He was only a little over 57 kilos and we assured him he was just on target, there was nothing to worry,” Picson told the Inquirer.
As it turned out, Suarez again sneaked out for a tapering jog hours before the official weigh-in.
He went for the 56 kg bantamweight limit but ended up sapped and juiceless at 55 kg, Picson bared.
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Suarez predictably suffered back pains due to fluid loss. They tried to re-hydrate him to no avail.
Picson, however, assured this was only a temporary setback, adding Suarez is bound to learn his lessons, albeit the hard way.
The temporary demotion to bag boy, Picson explained, should help guide Suarez, maybe initially dazed by fame and fortune, back on his humble track.
Yes, they do hope to see Charly again in a tea ritual to pray for success.
That’s if his fast-growing body can still make it as a healthy, competitive, honest bantamweight.
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(NO WAY: National cycling great Jesus Garcia Jr. says there’s no way he can join the road race among veteran riders announced by the group of Philip Ella Juico earlier in the week. Cycling Jess, two-time national road marathon winner, says he last rode a bike in 2001 and now plays only table tennis and occasional basketball.)