Super trainer Freddie Roach capped his well-attended two-day boxing clinic at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium yesterday and said he wouldn?t hesitate doing it over and over again for the sake of Filipino boxers.
“I had a great time that?s why,” said the American recipient of the 2003 Trainer of the Year award who?s in the country calling the shots for Manny Pacquiao in his scheduled bout against Thailand?s Fahsan 3K battery tomorrow night in Taguig.
“Yesterday we had a Q and A and we talked about strategy and how corners should be run, then today we showed how it?s done. We let the boxers know how to control the ring and how to cut it and take away some of their bad habits,” he said.
Roach, an amiable person who?s handled some of the world?s greatest fighters, said though the focus was on professional boxing, he was glad to hear a lot from the amateur side, particularly 1992 Barcelona Olympics bronze medalist Roel Velasco.
Velasco, whose younger brother Mansueto won the silver medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, is head coach of the Philippine women?s boxing team that recently competed and won a couple of gold medals in a tournament in Taipei..
“The amateur style isn?t really relevant to the pro style because in the amateurs all you have to do is put your hands up and that?s good defense. But it will help them. Definitely. We had a good turnout,” he said.
“I?d like to do it again,” added Roach, throwing all the credit on Atty. Rudy Salud, a well-respected figure in the world of professional boxing.
“It was Mr. Salud who worked this out and how could I say no to Mr. Salud. I couldn?t say no to him. I couldn?t say no to anybody when it comes to something like this. I?d love to do it again,” he said.
Helping Roach in yesterday?s clinic were Gerry Pe?alosa, the former world champion, and Z Gorres, the country?s No.1 super-flyweight.
This is the first visit for Roach in the Philippines and the studious, hard-working ring tactician is hoping that it wouldn?t be the last.
“I like it here. I don?t know why some people back in the States kept telling me not to come here. Who told me not to come here? Filipinos back in the States,” said Roach, who spent his first two weeks here in Davao.
“But I was never scared coming here anyway. I?ve traveled all over the world and I know how to get myself into trouble and out of it myself. I know how to handle myself. I?m not a loud person looking for some attention or stuff like that.
“I just like to go and flow with the crowd and I?m not having any problems. When I was with Manny in Davao, he assigned two bodyguards on me. He said it was just in case I come a across a crazy person and ruin everything you know. But it was fine,” he said.
During his brief stay in the southern province, Roach had a good shot at being Filipino, trying out cockfighting, getting a taste of the tangy fruit “durian,” taking a bite at Jollibee and getting a lot of offers to try out “balut,” the delicacy out of duck embryo.
He flies home Monday, he said, but not after trying “balut.”
“Definitely. How about Sunday?”
