Please don’t drop these new boxing talents

GUANGZHOU—A coach in the Indian track team sneered and said he was not impressed with the gold-medal win of his runner in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase on Sunday, the China Daily reported yesterday. 
The report, printed as a boxed item in the Asiad Daily, official newspaper of the 16th Asian Games, naturally drew critical notice here. 
Other than raised eyebrows, the stern reaction to the gold-medal feat had people wondering what strange standards India has set for its athletes. 
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“I’m disappointed her performance today was too slow. One more such performance will kill me,” said coach Nikolai Snarev. 
Either he was giddy, or trying to get more attention than he deserved. 
In fact, the gold winner, Sudha Singh, readily declared the winning time was already her personal best. 
“I’m very, very happy. I did not expect to win, the Chinese girl was very fast, but I was able to deliver my best time,” she declared. 
Snapped back coach Snarev, a native of Belarus: “As soon as you are satisfied with your athlete’s performance, the progress will stop.” 
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That amusing item has to be reprinted following reliable information from Manila that at least nine more young boxers, culled from the grassroots, are set to be scratched—if they’ve not yet been done the injustice—from the training pool of the Philippine Sports Commission. 
It’s hard to determine what standards the PSC uses for members of its training pool. 
But knowing the grassroots program of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines, those promising nine athletes have all the potentials to be future champions. 
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Based on the same information, there were originally a total of 48 boxers in the PSC pool during the time of chairs Butch Ramirez and Harry Angping. 
The number was later reduced to 36. 
If they proceed with the reported junking, only 27 boxers would be left in the pool. 
Based on latest developments, the PSC has obviously set new standards for the boxing pool. 
However, the PSC might be pleased to know that the Abap, under the new leadership headed by sportsman-tycoon Manny Pangilinan, has successfully dug talents from out of the grassroots with its committed and sustained junior development programs. 
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A new batch of young talents has been tapped from the recent Cebu junior championship. 
After it’s done with the campaign here, the Abap next goes to Panabo in Davao del Norte starting Dec. 11 for another big junior competition featuring budding talents from the grassroots. 
OK, we cannot accuse the PSC of nipping talents in the bud. 
However, we are duty-bound to plead for the retention of the nine boxers whose heads have reportedly been put on the chopping block. 
For the record, the stints of the Saludar brothers, notably Victorio, were made possible through the brisk junior development program of the Abap. 
However, there are fears the PSC, like that giddy coach of the Indian track team, might have adopted strange winning standards of its own.