Tired but in high spirits, Pinoy pugs open Helsinki bid

HELSINKI, Finland – A tired Team Caltex Philippines, which arrived here Thursday from a 17,000-km trip from Manila, plunges into action Friday against some of the toughest in Europe in the 2002 Gunnar Barlund International Boxing Championships.

The six-man team began gym workout barely three hours after arriving here from a connecting flight from Paris to be in top shape for the tournament held in honor of Finland’s legendary pre-war heavyweight champion who died in 1982.

Despite the cold weather in this quiet, sparsely-populated city, still half blanketed in thick snow in the middle of spring, the Philippine boxers are in high spirits as they bid for a reputable finish in the three-day tournament among 12 nations.

Harry Tanamor, gold medalist in the recent Chowdry Cup in Azerbaijan, will compete in a higher division – the flyweight – along with compatriot Violito Payla after organizers scrapped his event – the light flyweight – for lack of entries.

The other members of the RP team sponsored by Caltex Philippines and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Pacific Heights and Revicon are Vicente Palicte (bantam), Roel Laguna (feather), Anthony Igusquiza (lightweight) and Romeo Brin (light feather).

Coaches are Nolito "Boy" Velasco and Pat Gaspi.

Manny Lopez, president of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP), said the foreign exposure of the boxers is part of the long-range preparation for the Olympics and also serves as buildup for the forthcoming Asian Games in Busan, South Korea.

"Their participation will also be part of our selection process since the performance of the boxers abroad will help determine the composition of the Asian Games team," Lopez said.

Seventy-five boxers are seeing action in 11 weight classes, with host Finland fielding 18, nearby Estonia seven and the Philippines six. Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, Hungary, Russia, Bulgaria and England are sending five each while a second team from Russia is putting in four.

Another team, also bankrolled by Caltex Philippines, is competing in the King’s Cup in Thailand.