Tipon on the comeback trail to Olympics

MANILA, Philippines - He was once considered the Philippines’ top boxing prospect but somehow, former Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games champion Joan Tipon couldn’t sustain his rise in the international scene.

After a failed try to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a busted shoulder doomed Tipon’s bid in the Laos SEAG in 2009 and sidelined the pug from Bacolod City for the entire 2010.

Now fully recovered from injury and wisened by the experience of coaching his former teammates and young Turks, the 29-year-old Tipon felt he still has it in him to make another go at international success.

“Kaya pa (I still can do it),” said bantamweight Tipon, who’s been reinserted into the national pool just recently. “One hundred percent magaling na ang balikat. Ready na bumalik (My shoulder’s 100 percent healed now and I feel good and ready to go).”

Tipon won the gold medals in the 2005 SEAG and 2006 Asian but got on a slide after, failing to reach the Beijing Games with disappointing losses in the world and Asian qualifiers and becoming the lone non-medalist in the 10-man Phl team in Laos. He served as assistant to elite coach Roel Velasco while sidelined by injury, joining training and sparring along the way.

He felt the itch to go back this year, with the Olympic qualifiers in the horizon.

“Sayang din ang Olympics, tutal kaya ko pa naman. Nag-gold na ako sa SEA Games, nag-gold na sa Asian Games, Olympics na lang ang kulang. Sa aming mga atleta, Olympics naman talaga ang gusto namin (I want to make it to the Olympics like everybody else. I’ve already had success in SEA Games and Asian Games and I’m hoping to complete it in the Olympics),” he said.

Tipon will continue to campaign at bantamweight, which under the new AIBA ruling has a heavier ceiling of 56 kgs.

“Mas maganda sa akin kasi parang sunog ako sa 54 (kgs, old limit)), hindi na ako magrereduce pag 56 (I’d fit right in at 56 kgs because before I felt drained at 54 kgs),” he said.

Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) executive director Ed Picson recently announced that Tipon would be one of six boxers bound for the Jackson Tournament slated May 7-13 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

“A few months ago nakita ko na sumasama siya sa training ng mga boksingero. Sinabi niya kung pwede mag-comeback siya, ayos na naman daw balikat niya. Kilala naman namin si Joan, hindi siya pabaya sa katawan. So we’re injecting him back into the line-up,” Picson said.

Thankful for this second chance, Tipon vowed to give it his all.

“Kundisyon naman ako (I’m in condition now),” he said. “Mas handa ako ngayon at mas pursigido kesa nung nag-try ako makapasok sa Beijing Olympics (I’m more prepared and determined to seek an Olympic slot now compared to four years ago).”