Boxers vow golden performance

BUSAN – After an eight-year gold medal drought in the Asian Games, Philippine boxing team coach George Caliwan thinks his boys will finally deliver the goods this time in this scenic port city.

"The signs look good," said the 51-year-old Caliwan during a break in yesterday morning’s training near the RP delegation’s quarters at the Athletes Village here. "They’re confident and they have trained long enough to be in top mental and physical shape to win again after the Hiroshima Asiad in 1994."

The Philippines bagged three golds in Hiroshima courtesy of Onyok Velasco, Reynaldo Galido and Elias Recaido Jr. But Filipino pugs failed to win a gold in Bangkok four years ago.

Caliwan and his assistants, Nolito "Boy" Velasco pin a lot of hopes on Violito Payla, a 23-year-old flyweight from Cagayan de Oro City who has pocketed four gold medals so far in different international tournaments.

"Sa tingin namin, malaki ang pag-asa ni Violito na manalo dito sa Busan," said the two coaches.

After winning a gold medal in the Balado Cup in Cuba last year, Payla took three straight golds in the Chowdry Cup in Azerbaijan, Tammer Cup in Finland and Acropolis Cup in Greece this year before settling for a bronze in the Pyongyang international championships in North Korea last month.

Payla and five of the seven other RP boxers are Asiad first-timers, but Caliwan is not worried at all. "Basta fair lang ang judging, malaki ang laban ng mga bata," stressed Caliwan.

The other newcomers are light-fly Harry Tanamor, bantam Ferdie Gamo, feather Roel Laguna, light middle Christopher Camat and light heavy Maraon Goles, who took a gold in Pyongyang.

The two veterans are Sydney Olympian Romeo Brin, a light welter, and lightweight Anthony Igusquisa.

Velasco expects boxers from the host country, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Thailand to provide the stiffest challenge to the Filipinos. After all, the Koreans swept all the 12 boxing golds when they hosted the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul.

The Thais, who have emerged as the dominant group in Southeast Asia, could also be dangerous rivals. One of their entries here is flyweight Somjit Jongjohor, who scored a narrow points victory over Payla in the quarterfinals of last year’s Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia.

But Velasco pointed out that Payla has previously beaten many of the entries in his class in the Busan Games. Among his past victims were Indian Jitender Kumar, Iranian Mojitaba Farajieraei and Japanese Kaoru Murahashi.

There were also other entries Gamo and Tanamor had met and beaten. These included bantam Akbar Ahadi Hir of Iran and Talaibek Kadyraliev of Kyrgyzstans and Korean light fly Lee Sung Won.

"The boys had swapped punches with many more of these fighters in many important tournaments," said Caliwan and Velasco as they went through the long boxing entry list. "But the Asian Games competition is going to be different, of course."

There are several factors to consider, according to the two veteran coaches. "One is the luck of the draw," said Caliwan, referring to the boxing draw on Oct. 2.

But the most important thing going for the boys, stressed Caliwan, is their confidence and strong desire to repeat what fellow boxers Onyok Velasco, Galido and Recaido had accomplished eight years ago in Hiroshima.