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Elorde grandson ready to rumble
By Virgi T. Romano
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 30 Mar 2006
Now that he has graduated from college, Juan Martin Vicencio Elorde will now fulfill his very first dream - to become a boxer - just like his father and grandfather.
Juan Martin or Bai, to his family and friends, is now training at the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) gym at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex for about five months.
The 21-year-old, 5?8? Bai, a graduate of Hotel, Restaurant & Institution Management from (La Salle) St.Benilde College, is the son of Johnny (Elorde), who once gave the Philippines a gold medal honor during the 1979 SEA Games in Jakarta. And most significantly, Bai is a grandson of the ?Greatest Filipino Boxer? Gabriel ?Flash? Elorde.
And just like his father and lolo, Bai campaigns in the lightweight division.
Bai showed he has the potential of making it big in the amateur scene, when he easily outlasted his opponent at the 2002 National Open held in Iriga City, where he won a gold medal.
?Actually, ABAP was offering a spot for Bai in the national team after he won in Iriga, but he simply refused it because he wants to finish first his studies,? said Liza (Elorde), wife of Johnny and mother of Bai.
And just like other Filipino boxers from the ABAP?s fold, Bai?s ultimate goal is to win the very first gold medal in the Olympic Games.
"That's his ultimate goal, although mahirap, pero malay natin siya 'yung suwertehin," Liza added.
Bai, together with the other national boxers were scheduled to compete in King?s Cup in Bangkok (April 4-10) before political turmoil brought about by calls for Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to step down, shelved the tourney.
The Philippines has yet to win a gold medal in the Olympics and the best the Filipino had achieved were two silvers courtesy of Anthony Villanueva (1964 Tokyo Olympics) and Mansueto Velasco Jr. (1996 Atlanta Olympics).
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Virgi T. Romano.
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