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Philippines, 23 Nov 2024 |
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'A REWARDING EXPERIENCE' PhilBoxing.com Tue, 27 Apr 2010  L-R: Broadcaster Ronnie Nathaliesz, Promoter Zack Taumafai of KO Promotions, ALA Gym president Michael Aldeguer, event sponsor Christian Henn, GAB boxing chief Dr Nasser Cruz and Ramon Pizarras, also of KO Promotions, climb atop the ring before the Melindo-Komrit main event. Our visit to Dubai last week to cover the fight card of KO Promotions headed by one of the nicest people you could ever meet ? Zac Taumafai ? was a rewarding experience for all of us who comprised the Philippine delegation led by ALA Gym president Michael Aldeguer, the Games and Amusement Board officials headed by boxing division chief Dr. Nasser Cruz, internationally respected referee Bruce McTavish along with referees/judges Ver Abainza and Ben Necesario, journalist/judge Salven Lagumbay and the soft-spoken genius behind the unbelievably popular philboxing.com, Dong Secuya. It was a happy, closely knit group who took pride in the performance displayed by Milan Melindo who is a classy fighter and a fine young man, Rey ?Boom Boom? Bautista who was the most popular among the group and Larry ?Bon Jovi? Canillas all of whom won their bouts via technical knockouts in hard-fought encounters. The most important thing is that they faced worthy opponents who stood their ground and battled to the end giving fight fans, mostly Filipinos, an exciting evening of boxing in a fantastic venue which unfortunately the Dubai group that handled the TV coverage couldn?t capture at all. It was a pity because the fights were good, the crowd was all agog and the setting absolutely first class. Much of the troubles encountered by KO Promotions and ALA Promotions who worked together with the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN was caused by a sweet-talking Filipino operator identified as Joshua Armamiento who had promised the organizers his group would deliver Bobby Pacquiao for the main event and get boxing hero Manny Pacquiao to visit. That was, to put in bluntly, a bare-faced lie because Manny himself had told Rex ? Wakee? Salud in Texas that Bobby had retired and wouldn?t fight. Besides, Manny?s adviser Michael Koncz told us that Bobby wouldn?t come out of retirement for a $20,000 purse and there was no way Manny would go to Dubai at a crucial stage of his congressional campaign even if he were invited by the Royal Rulers of Dubai which in the first place was an utter misrepresentation peddled by Joshua for which he will be made to pay the price. In fact many Filipinos who were misled into believing that Bobby would fight and Manny would attend assailed Joshua even as we were informed that by misrepresenting one of the members of the Royal family he would not be allowed to return to the sprawling state with magnificent high-rise buildings of stunning architecture and excellent highways, transit systems and fantastic man-made tourist attractions. Even worse was the fact that the promoter sent an advance for Bobby Pacquiao?s purse from which Armamiento was supposed to turn over a certain sum to the ALA Gym as an advance on the fighters purses etc after we had reported that despite all the assurances given KO Promotions, the Pacquiaos wouldn?t go. It turns out that this individual gave Tony and Michael Aldeguer the run-around for days and eventually confessed that he had spent the substantial amount of dollars transmitted to him by the promoter. Given fair warning that he would be sued and exposed in the media, Joshua finally paid the Aldeguers by check which thankfully didn?t bounce and was cleared on Monday. To the credit of the youthful Michael Aldeguer, he assumed responsibility and left for Dubai without receiving the money because he felt for ZacTaumafai as a promoter and a decent person who didn?t deserve to be gypped. What was worse was that a Filipino did it and jeopardized the chances of Filipinos in Dubai from seeing some of their favorite fighters in action and the boxers a chance to entertain the fans. In the end Michael was glad he took the risk because it was a breakthrough for boxing in Dubai and a whole new world opened up for the ALA Gym working with KO Promotions in Dubai and the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN and its widely-watched TFC, the Filipino channel. While Zac took a financial beating he was still cheerful enough to charge it to experience and to feel the satisfaction that he had made a breakthrough and could look with some optimism to the future. Zac?s two sons and two daughters in particular, worked themselves to the bone and were always gracious and solicitous of the needs of the Philippine delegation. They worked as a team and showed Filipinos who value family ties what it is all about. The only sour note was that a Filipino gave the millions of other Filipinos who work and live in Dubai and other places in the middle-east a bad name by his misrepresentation and utter lack of decency. Other than that it was a truly rewarding experience and on a more personal note, the Filipino fans who crowded around us everywhere we went lifted our spirits beyond belief and reflected just how much we have personally benefited from the opportunities given us by Mr. Gabby Lopez and our dear friend Peter Musngi plus the support of Dyan Castillejo and ABS-CBN Sports. It?s simply a question of being given a chance to cover a sport we love with unbridled passion on a network that does an awesome job and reaches out to millions of fans both at home and abroad who follow the action on The Filipino Channel. Filipinos abroad are truly kind, gracious and wonderful people even though there are a few occasions when the reputation of the Filipino is soiled by one of the jerks decent people sometimes unfortunately trust and deal with. Click here for a complete listing of columns by this author. Click here for a complete listing of this author's articles from different news sources. |
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