If Manny Lopez clings to his post as head of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (Abap) and decides to run in next month?s elections, he will probably be challenged by former Davao Del Sur Rep. Tonyboy Floirendo or boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.
This was the sentiment of North Cotabato Vice-Governor Manny Pi?ol, a known Lopez critic.
Pi?ol blamed the Lopez leadership for the country?s failure to win an Olympic gold medal hopes despite generous funding from the government and private sector.
“If Tonyboy decids to beg off (from running as Abap president), we will convince Manny Pacquiao to take it,” said Pi?ol, who now runs a boxing program for the youth in Mindanao.
Still, Pi?ol remains hopeful that Lopez sees the light.
“Manny Lopez should just voluntarily give up (the Abap presidency) for the sake of amateur boxing,” added Pinol.
The Philippines hasn?t won an Olympic medal since light-flyweight Onyok Velasco settled for the silver in the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Since then, the country has gone home empty-handed from the 2000 (Sydney), 2004 (Athens) and 2008 (Beijing) Games but the Beijing edition turned out to be the most debilitating since there was only one qualifier in light-fly Harry Ta?amor, who was knocked out of the competition in his very first fight.
The last time Lopez took the spotlight was in the 2006 Doha Asian Games when fly Violito Payla and Joan Tipon won gold medals.
Interestingly, both fighters could not make the grade during two Olympic quailifiers held earlier this year.
Pacquiao was pained by the Olympic setback that he expressed his willingness to remedy the problems of amateur boxing.
