NORTH Cotabato Vice Governor Manny Pi?ol fired more verbal jabs against Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines president Manny Lopez, insisting that Abap’s national boxing program was a total failure.
“Three decades of failure is too much. This has become an embarrassment. There’s got to be a change in the leadership of Abap,” Pi?ol told Sun.Star Thursday as he reiterated his call for Lopez to step down.
“If he really loves Philippine boxing he should go. He has failed and he should realize that,” added Pi?ol, citing the last three Olympics where the country failed to even win a single bronze medal.
The vice governor then mentioned former Davao del Norte congressman Antonio “Tonyboy” Floirendo and Filipino boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao as the right individuals who can run ABAP well.
“Tonyboy, he’s a go-getter. He’s got the money and he has the love for the sport,” said Pi?ol, noting that Floirendo was able to transform the Panabo boxing team into a national champion.
“They have a boxing program that will shame the Abap national boxing program,” Pi?ol said.
In his column posted at the Philboxing.com Friday, Pi?ol revealed that Floirendo, scion of banana magnate Don Anotoino Floirendo, has accepted the challenge of vying for the presidency.
But this early, the issue whether Floirendo is qualified to run, or if he would be allowed to vie for the presidency, remains a big question.
The reason for this was that when Floirendo was elected regional chairman of Abap XI three years ago, the Abap national office refused to acknowledge his election.
Pi?ol went on to explain that Abap’s refusal to recognize Floirendo’s position is an indication that Lopez is not about to step down as president despite the Beijing Games debacle.
And this worries Pi?ol, a veteran journalist and boxing analyst who also handles excellent fighters in North Cotabato.
“After three decades of involvement with amateur boxing and failing to produce the elusive Olympic gold, Manny Lopez should hang up his gloves and say goodbye to amateur boxing,” Pi?ol said.
