Eyewitness to Olympic travesty

At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Filipino Anthony Villanueva battled Russian Stanislav Stepashkin for the boxing gold medal in the featherweight division. They fought tooth and nail for three rounds. Stepashkin had won his four previous bouts by knockout on the way to the finals while Villanueva booked three victories on points and one inside the distance.

At the final bell, it seemed like Villanueva had done enough to win the country’s first gold medal or so most ringsiders, including Ring Magazine founder Nat Flesicher and renowned sports columnist Red Smith, thought. But alas, Stepashkin got the nod on a 3-2 split verdict.

Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation (PAAF) president Antonio de las Alas watched in disbelief as Stepashkin’s arm was raised. He was the country’s delegation head in Tokyo and had long dreamed of a gold medal in the Olympics for the Philippines. His daughter Ching sat beside him at ringside and remembered the travesty on Oct. 15, 1964, vividly.

When Villanueva passed away at the age of 69 last month, Ching de las Alas Montinola went to his wake at the Loyola Memorial Park in Paranaque. She recalled how handsome Villanueva was that night in Tokyo and although bloodied, he stood tall and unbowed.

In paying tribute to Villanueva, Mrs. Montinola wrote a moving piece about the uncrowned Filipino Olympic champion. Here are excerpts of her story:

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“Anthony’s speed and power dominated the match. Simply put, his opponent could hardly hit him because Anthony was so quick. His stamina and footwork were unmatched. He had laser focus with one objective alone – winning the match and that he did! Our little Filipino outboxed, outmaneuvered and outclassed his opponent and we were so confident of victory. At the end of the last round, so many started to congratulate Papa and the Filipino contingent. There was euphoria in Anthony’s corner.

“I remember looking into Papa’s eyes and could see in the thousands of fights he had witnessed, he knew we won this one. Anthony and the Philippines finally won the gold! Then came the unexpected. We should have known better. Everybody was stunned. Suddenly, delegates from other nations, majority of the spectators and our kababayan began to boo, hiss and stomp their feet loudly for a long time to protest. They felt sad the Philippines was robbed of a gold medal.

“My brother and I were very worried and nervous because Papa was trembling and turned pale. He looked so frustrated and embittered but like a true sportsman, Papa composed himself as head of the delegation. He knew too well that in boxing, the decision of the judges is final. Still, it is on record that the decision was the biggest protest at the Tokyo Games. During the awarding ceremony, there was tremendous applause for our silver medalist across the entire stadium. When the gold medalist accepted his, I noticed that applause was exceptionally reserved even from their side.

“The moment that Papa and Anthony saw each other, no words were spoken between the two. Papa wrapped his arms around his protégé’s shoulder, tears falling down his cheeks and both expressing and sharing their pain for a moment. For Papa, it was difficult because he always treated our athletes like his own sons and for Anthony, of course, there was a big difference between feeling ‘victorious’ and being the ‘victor.’

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“Our beloved Anthony returned to Manila where he was feted by thousands of admirers who wanted to honor him for a job well done. He rode in triumph in an open convertible all over the streets of Manila and was showered with ticker tape and confetti, his silver medal dangling around his neck. After being welcomed by a barrage of Manila government officials, Anthony proceeded to Malacanang to pay his respects to President Diosdado Macapagal and his wife Eva. The President lauded him for his outstanding service to the country. Papa provided the narrative for what really happened, stressing it was really a gold medal performance.

“I made it a point to see Anthony for the last time. Age had set in and I could hardly recognize the handsome 19-year-old, well-built, muscular and full of life boy we brought with us to Tokyo. Poverty and hardship had caught up with him. I was happy to see the wreaths around him – from the POC President, the PSC Chairman, ABS-CBN, Elorde Gym. I heard MVP made the wake at Loyola possible.

“Sports was very different during Papa’s time. Playing for the country was an honor and involved a very great sacrifice. There was no material compensation, just a sincere determination and firm commitment to love and do service for one’s country. As I look at our hero, I ask: How can a grateful people show gratitude in a more tangible form? I feel Filipinos are so quick to forget. There were so many good deeds done for sports by our forebears that have now been forgotten. Anthony has been conferred with many awards for his outstanding performance 40 years ago but did he have to go as far as to try to sell his silver medal which is priceless in value? As Anthony rests, we thank him for paving the way for the athletes of today, for bringing honor to our country. I thank him for the privilege of knowing a true Filipino.”