RP pugs upbeat despite baggage loss, long flight

KARACHI, PAKISTAN–Not even a weary, 10-hour sojourn and the misfortune of missing two of its luggages along the way could dampen the spirit of the RP-Alaxan FR team set to see action in the third Asian boxing qualifying meet beginning today in this Southern Asian capital.

The eight-man boxing team led by Vietnam Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Harry Tanamor arrived here late Tuesday night (early Wednesday morning Manila time) exhausted and sluggish from a long trip that took the Filipino delegation from Manila to Bangkok to this Muslim state twice the size of California.

To compound the matter, referee/judge Art Vidal failed to claim his checked-in baggages and personal belongings that could have been left out as the team disembarked at the Bangkok International airport.

Still, the RP pugs, whose trip here is made possible by Alaxan-FR, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Pacific Heights and Accel, remain in good mood despite the early fiasco.

"Ang sabi namin sa mga bata alisin na muna nila sa isip ‘yun. The important thing is for us to get ready, physically and mentally, for the meet,"said RP coach George Caliwan.

Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) President Manny Lopez likewise egged the team, composed of Ferdie Gamo, Junard Ladon and Jennibert Basadre, to maintain a positive outlook and give its best in the week-long tournament serving as the final stage of the three boxing qualifying meets in the Asian region for the coming Athens Olympics.

"I told them buhos na ito. Our primary consideration is to add more Filipino boxers to see action in the Olympics," said Lopez, also the secretary-general of the Federation of Asian Amateur Boxing (FAAB).

Romeo Brin, Violito Payla and Chris Camat are the three Filipinos already assured of slots in the Summer Games set August 18-29.

The weigh-in is scheduled in the afternoon today, hours before the fights begin in the evening.

Tanamor is seeing action in the flyweight class, Gamo in the bantamweight division, Ladon in the featherweight and Basadre, the youngest of the four boxers, in the lightweight class.

Gaspi said that while most of the best boxers in the region have already gained berths in the Athens Games, competition in the meet remains tough, citing the presence of fighters from Thailand, Korea, Uzbekistan and the host country.

"Mabigat pa rin ang mga kalaban," said coach Pat Gaspi.