BOXERS PERSONALLY picked by Cuban coach Honorato Espinosa from a vast pool of skillful fighters are going to undergo a stern test when they take part in a tournament in Havana sometime in April next year.
This was revealed yesterday by North Cotabato Gov. Manny Pi?ol, who is at the helm of winning the country’s first Olympic gold medal by way of his own amateur boxing program that has the full backing of all seventy-plus provincial governors.
“Se?or Espinosa has come up with the Mindanao team and it is made up of standouts from Rep. Tonyboy Floirendo’s stable,” said Pi?ol during yesterday’s SCOOP Sa Kamayan.
The boxers are lightweight Reynaldo Belandres, feather Rolando Magbanua, welter Francis Cotamora and lightweight Charlie Suarez.
Pi?ol said he is in the process of finalizing talks with Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) President Manny Lopez regarding the inclusion of those who will continue to prosper under the ABAP banner.
“This is the only thing that’s being worked out because I would like Se?or Espinosa to continue training one of the boxers that will go on to advance and I have been told that the ABAP coaches are not comfortable with that idea,” said Pinol.
“I would like a continuity kaya I want the Cuban coach to join the boxer,” added Pi?ol, who bared that the 67-year-old Espinosa’s contract is up to 2008.
Pi?ol is hoping to field a potential gold medal winner in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
After Onyok Velasco’s silver medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the Philippines has been unable to land in the medal table following disastrous showings in 2000 in Sydney and 2004 in Athens.
