Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Philippines in the 2012 World Chess Olympiad

While most Filipino sports fan are on looking for news about the Azkals and basketball, a Philippine team is currently beating the world's top teams in .... Chess. Maybe some of our officials, do not consider this as a sport but at least the team led by veteran Eugene Torre is showing that Filipinos can be world beaters.  It is funny though very few of our local media outlets write about the exploits of our chess grandmasters. Maybe, they will start writing about them tomorrow as the Philippines just beat 11th seeded England to remain the top 10 in this year's Olympiad.   The Olympiad is only held every two years and our country is seeded 35th in this year's edition.  In which sport do we have a Philippine team that is in top 40 of world rankings?  Only Chess, not basketball and definitely not football.  While pundits are happy with our 150th ranking in FIFA, nobody is even bothering to write about out top 10 placing in the Olympiad after Round 7. Many are disappointed with the 0-0 result of the Azkals against Cambodia, only few enthusiasts know that the Pinoys won 3-1 over England in the Olympiad.  Will we just bask in mediocrity? When will we start giving credit and funds to the right endeavor? ;)

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Do you know Eskrima Kali Arnis?

Eskrima? Kali Arnis? Have you ever heard about this? Arnis is actually the national sport in the country. It is not basketball, football, boxing or billiards. Did you know that there is such a thing as the World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation (WEKAF)? The WEKAF recently held a world championship for this martial arts discipline in Cebu. The over-all champion is the Philippines but only very few people were able to witness the event.

While students were sometimes required to watch their college teams in collegiate basketball tournaments, I never saw any students required to at least support the Philippine team in their quest for a "world championship". The sport should be propagated to the local level. Philip Juico even mentioned that the sport is gaining more popularity abroad than locally.  It is hard to fathom that only a few filipinos know how to use those sticks.

With the implementation of the K+12 program, I think Arnis could be a good required subject for PE classes. It is time for the government to create more awareness about this sport.  Here some other good ideas to promote the sport:

1. Sponsor a telenovela that will have a protagonist who is proficient in Arnis. Just imagine Coco Martin with double sticks giving some punishment to some villains.
2. In the May 2013, a senatorial candidate could make a commercial that he is going to destroy corruption and other social evils using an Arnis stick. Imagine Migz Zubiri showing his stick fighting skills in a campaign commercial.
3. Have a new reality show about arnis where the winner gets 1 million pesos.  People earn more by just staying at a house for 100 days or an island in 40 days. Why not make a show that has  a better cultural relevance like an arnis show. Calling channel 5!
4. Look for a handsome Fil-Am to be the next arnis star athlete and spokesperson. Football have the Younghusbands.   Rugby has some cute "Volcanoes". Time to seek a new sports hero. 
5. Invite actors to take on the sport. Derek Ramsey has frisbee. Goma had rowing and fencing. A few are taking on running and triathlon. Imagine the image reinvention if Piolo Pascual will represent the Philippines in the 2014 World Championships in Hungary.

How about you? Do you have any smart ideas on promoting the sport?











Links:

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Philippines and the 2012 Olympics

Here are this year's Philippine Olympic team:


Athlete
Gender
Sport
Event
Mark Javier
M
ArcheryMen's Individual
Rachel Cabral
W
ArcheryWomen's Individual
Rene Herrrera
M
Athletics3000 m Steeplechase
Marestella Torres
W
AthleticsLong Jump
Mark Barriga
M
BoxingLIghtflyweight
Daniel Caluag
M
Cycling
Men's BMX
Tomohiko Hoshina
M
Judo
Men's +100 kg.
Brian Rosario
M
ShootingSkeet
Jessie Khing Lacuna
M
Swimming200 m freestyle
Jasmine Alkhaldi
W
Swimming100 m freestyle
Hidilyn Diaz
W
WeightliftingWomen's -58 kg


The Olympic hopes of the Philippines are in the shoulders of the 11 who luckily made it to the 2012 Olympics. Well, the Philippines have been shut out in the last 3 Olympics. The last medal that we earned was Onyok Velasco's silver in 1996.  That has been 16 years already. 

The new generation knows Onyok as Manny Pacquiao's sidekick in GMA 7 shows.  They would probably never believe when I will say that he is an olympic silver medallist. What are our chances this year? Probably very low just like the last 3 editions. 

In the past our best sports were boxing and taekwondo.  Do you know, how many boxers and jins that made it to London. Only one. Mark Barriga qualified to the Olympics not by winning the World Championship but as a lucky loser. He was lucky that the one who eliminated him won the Gold. 

What has happened to our sports program? Did we sink so low that nobody even cares about the Olympics. Are we too star struck with our newly football stars that we forgot other sports? Are we still dreaming an Olympic basketball gold?  We have 95 million Filipinos and we cannot even win one Olympic gold medal. Times are tough, gone are the days that we send a real contingent to the Olympics. Now we are just sending a very small squad. Lean and mean...more of really lean.

Hopefully, these 11 Filipino Olympians will prove me wrong and win some medals.  I want them surprise us in London so that the Olympic spirit will be rekindled in the country.  I would be embarrassed though if I see more junketeers going to London than the 11 athletes. I do not mind to see referees and sports officials but if our taxes are made to be for people who are just their for a "free" ride then I'd rather see them at least compete their or shout their hearts out for our athletes and not those stars from other countries.

Go Pinas!! Surprise us....please. 

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Pacquiao-Bradley Script!

For the first time in 7 years Philipines' top sports phenom Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao lost boxing match.  Pacquiao was defeated by undefeated Timothy "Desert Storm" Bradley in a highly controversial match. The whole world was stunned by the decision.  The decision become trending in twitter with hashtags like #RIPBoxing. While many are mad about the decision, I am sure some are happy.  These are the people who could be happy with Bradley's win.


  1. The Bettors. +350. I am sure that many made a killing. The mafia maybe or just an average Joe who needs the long shot to win so that he can pay for mortgage are some important medicine. Maybe Manny was the instrument someone who needs a big help. A miracle happened to some lucky gamblers. 
  2. Gays. Pacquiao was deemed anti-gay marriage. I guess some homosexuals are saying, "that's for saying, we can't marry!".  Who knows, there is a judge who is gay or is close to someone gay. Judging a boxing match is based on opinion.  Now Manny knows that opinions can HURT A LOT!
  3. Marquez or his fanatics. Finally, they can say "How does it feel now, Manny Boy?".  After hurting from 3 very close matches, this one for sure hurts more. Pacquiao might say he has accepted it but definitely it will hurt once it sinks in. A Philippine presidential candidate even died after losing a very controversial election loss.  Hopefully, Pacquiao can truly move on.
  4. Gloria Arroyo ultra haters. It has been a bad year so far for ex-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA)'s supporters.  Corona got impeached. Pacquiao lost. Some close aides get sued.  It has been all downhill. Who's next?
  5. Bradley and his team. He should be or he shouldn't be. Would you be elated to win the greatest robbery in boxing history? Would you want your name stained by it? At first glance though they should be happy. A major windfall could come if there is a rematch.  That is a big IF.
  6. Bob Arum. Bob "Puppet Master" Arum is happy that he has found "a. A rival b. replacement" to his most prized boxer in recent years.  He can groom Bradley to be the heir apparent but apparently he can also just feed him to the dogs after being involved in the biggest heist in the square ring.  Arum is happy because he can make more money with the prospects of having a "fake" trilogy.
  7. Nevada. With another supposed blockbuster card coming in November, the State of Nevada will be alive. Yohoo! Money to the economy! Hurray!!!
  8. MMA. Mixed Martial Arts will use this to encroach and get more boxing fans to switch loyalties.  They have slowly developed stars that could eclipse the available stars of boxing. Dana White is smiling and he could probably invite Manny to switch over.
The original "script" supposedly calls for Manny lose a very close decision to Bradley. But Bradley freakin' blew it and judges were dumb to see that one of the actors was not convincing enough to merit a winning round.  As damage control, Arum has to act as if he did not want to be part of the "scam". Manny, being a good actor, just accepted the loss and is open for rematch. Many are even praising for being a gracious loser. LOL. They are selling the rematch a week earlier than the first fight. Is it just a plain coincidence? Manny is playing like the best actor of a very ugly play or movie.

The second part of the trilogy will have Manny win a close and similarly controversial decision. The major players on this script are Arum, HBO, and WBO. They are supposed to save boxing but they are equally giving it a sudden death. After the win, the Filipino hero would run for higher office. He could either end up a governor or a senator.

With the outrage of fans and writers, there will be major changes on the script for sure. Manny can also opt out and just scuttle all the plans of the conspirators. Will you be a part of the story? The plot thickens....

Links:
Pacquiao-Bradley 1: Unanimous Decision except by 2 official judges
WBO asked to review the fight (via philboxing.com)
Ford and Ross should be accountable (world boxing news)
Sad State of Boxing
If I were...The Day after Pacquiao lost

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Josie Gabuco wins gold in World Championships but PHL has only one boxer in the 2012 Olympics

Josie Gabuco gave the country its first ever World Championship boxing gold. She won light-flyweight gold medal in the 2012 AIBA Women's Boxing World Championships. Her golden effort though did not merit the country an olympic berth since her weight class is not included in the olympic line-up. With months before the 2012 London Games, the Philippines will be sending just one boxer in this years olympics.

1? Uno? Isa? Usa? From an Asian superpower, the Philippines is slowly being relegated to the bottom in amateur boxing. Can you believe it? It does not come as a surprise though as our best bets go pro early. Instead of dreaming of a gold medal, many dreamed to be the next Manny Pacquiao instead. How much does an amateur boxer even earn nowadays?

The Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines has Manny Pangilinan as its Godfather. Money is supposedly not an issue anymore. Change may not be overnight but we have losing our best amateur fighters to the pros.  Their should be a program that will develop a future boxing team ala Smart Gilas. Although, it is not good to use the Gilas as an example because its core are now in the PBA. 

The ABAP should form a team in age groups and they should be trained by the best coaches available. They can even ask Freddie Roach to do some drills. We used to have Cuban coaches, now we simply rely on our home-grown coaches.  I am not saying that we are inferior but the results are showing how we are doing against our neighbors.  Thailand is not scared of us anymore. China, India, and even Middle-Eastern teams are on the rise. We should start upgrading our training and coaching.

Maybe it would be a good idea to form a team  in the World Series of Boxing (WSB) this early. I am sure MVP can afford it. We have to expose our boxers with tough competitions all year round or else it will take us another 20 years to see another Onyok Velasco. 

Boxing maybe a very dangerous sport and it cannot even be encouraged in schools but it is still the sport that we have the biggest chance of a gold medal in the olympics. Let us just start praying that Barriga will get the gold in London to inspire our budding fighters to stay amateur. ;)

Links:
Gabuco wins Gold
Million Peso Baby
Overweight Mexican Boxers
Jaro is a world champion

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Classic Game 7 still talked about... for the wrong reasons

The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has just concluded one of its best championships series ever. The B-Meg Llamados took the 2011-12 PBA Commissioner's Cup title by beating the hard-fighting Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in a memorable Game 7.

It was a great series indeed as the PBA is boasting of high ratings and very high gate receipts. Those are not the reasons though why a lot of people is still talking about the series.  Many fanatics are talking about the foul that happened with 1.2 seconds left in regulation in Game 7 of the series.

With TNT leading by 2, James Yap threw a pass to Best Import awardee Denzel Bowles who was then "fouled" by Kelly Williams while attempting a hurried shot. Many fans are angry while many as well as are laughing because the TNT dynasty and their dreams of total domination has been obliterated by a single whistle by a referee. Tears of joy were replaced by tears of sorrow. A lot of bettors are screaming Yes and No simultaneously. Here is a video of the most memorable play of the series:


Was there a foul? The PBA says yes while TNT officials are still fuming about the "bad" officiating.  Are they just sore losers or is there really a problem in officiating. Foul or not, this supposed classic series will be remembered by that call. People will forget how Bowles made the 2 biggest free throws of his life or how Alapag played his hearts out in this game, but the foul defined the game and it made the PBA somewhat relevant once again.

Hurry up with the next conference already!!!

Links:
Super Ending: B-Meg "Bowles" over TNT
TNT players absent in the All-Star festivities
Game 7 beckons!



Friday, March 30, 2012

PBA Balance of Power: There is parity with the exception of theTalk 'N Text Tropang Texters

Leagues around the world are trying as much as possible to have some sort of parity between teams. That is why there are drafts and lottery picks. That is why there is a salary cap. In the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), the league somehow found some parity. It is hard to predict games in the PBA now as most teams are evenly matched. The only great exception is Manny Pangilinan's Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters.

In the first conference, the top 4 teams were Talk 'N Text, Petron Blaze Boosters, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, and Powerade Tigers. The elimination round in the Commissioner's Cup is over and 3 of those 4 teams are out of contention for the 2nd conference title.  We can call it balance and some might call it luck or bad luck. The only immune team is the Tropang Texters and they got a fast forward ticket to the Final 4 as they finished numero uno after the single round robin elimination round. It is not surprising anymore with a team so loaded with talent that players like Japeth Aguilar, Harvey Carey, Jason Castro, and Ranidel de Ocampo come off the bench. Those 4 are sure starters in other teams. Talk 'N Text won 2 titles last year and they have defended one and they are the odds on favorite to defend their second title. Only a Petron miracle have prevented them from winning a grand slam last year. It would have been 4 straight titles for the Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP) franchise. 

MVP who happens to be the president of the Samahan Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), the FIBA-recognized basketball association of the Philippines, has transformed the Philippine basketball landscape. He bankrolled dynasties in the college level with the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles and the San Beda Red Lions. His drive in creating winning teams in the corporate world  (Metro Pacific and Smart Communications) has transcended in sports particularly basketball. No wonder Talk 'N Text looks like an All-Star team. If you work for MVP, you have to win. The coach of the semi-successful Smart Gilas program was not renewed because the team failed to win.  For them, winning is everything. Therefore it is expected for Talk 'N Text to win if possible all their games (especially in the playoffs) in the PBA. 

Is this good for the league? Well, dynasties happen but TNT seems to be built to last longer. Unlike Crispa who had a Toyota to contend with, Talk 'N Talk seems to be miles ahead from the competition. Petron is good but they are aging and oft-injured. B-Meg seems to choke in do or die battles. Ginebra is is the crowd favorite but they are also aging and get inconsistent sometimes. Meralco is the mini-farm team of sister club TNT. Barako Bull and Air 21 are like D-League teams for good young players waiting to be sold to other teams or a place for former superstars to get decent playing time. Powerade is mediocre without their amazing guards. Rain or Shine is too streaky to be depended upon.  Alaska is setting up a new system. No wonder that any conference in 2011-12 seems to look like a battle for 2nd place.

So is this good for PBA? Well PBA seems to report of improving ratings and gate receipts. The new formats are exciting and all teams have now made it to the playoffs. Well, almost as Air 21 missed the boat again but they have improved after a winless first conference.  A new set of Final 4 will give fans a different look. Who could be this conference's cinderella? Well it be the Bolts or the Barako Bull? Who knows? Parity is really good but when teams are matched up with the Texters, results seem predictable.

Hopefully, it will change soon. Maybe next year, since the core of TNT will be part of the national team but then again the Tropang Texters will bring legendary Philippine collegiate and PBA coach Norman Black who is seeking to continue his mean streak of winning basketball titles. Good luck, to all other teams.

Links:

PBA Commissioner's Cup down to 6 teams
PBA Official Website

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Overweight Mexican Boxers

Mexico produces the toughest boxers especially in the lower weights. They have been known to produce Hall pf Fame fighters like Julio Ceasar Chavez, Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, and countless professional boxing champions. This weekend though, a bunch of Mexican fighters were found overweight during the pre-fight weigh-in. 

First, the legendary Eric Morales was stripped of his WBC junior welterweight title after tipping the scales at 142 lbs which is 2 lbs over the limit. His opponent, Danny Garcia was paid an extra $50,000 to continue with the fight and have the chance to claim the championship belt outright. 

In Cebu, 2 Mexican boxers came for Pinoy Pride XIII and both were a bit overweight. Raul “El Bule” Hidalgo was able to shed the weight on his second attempt and he will be facing AJ "Bazooka" Banal. Javier Blanco, however, will be fighting OPBF champion Rocky “Road Warrior” Fuentes with 10 ounce gloves as a consequence for being overweight by 2 pounds. 

 Rodel Mayol's supposed title challenge for Hernan "Tyson" Marquez's WBA Light Flyweight belt is apparently cancelled because the Mexican champ was overweight. (see story on the link below)

 I do not know what has happened to these boxers.  The hardest part of being world class boxer is actually related to weight management. Maybe, it is fiesta season now in Mexico that these boxers cannot help but gorge on Nachos, Burritos, Chimichangas, and Tacos. I could probably be 300 lbs now if I lived in Mexico. It would be unfair though that their opponents will be fighting an overweight world-class Mexican fighter. It could be suicide. 

Good thing that Rodel Mayol is wise enough not to fight an oversized Mexican champ in front of passionate Mexican fans who want to see a Filipino fall. They really want to see a Pinoy KO victim because boxers like Manny Paquiao have somehow shown that Filipinos can beat the best of Mexico. The Filipino-Mexican rivalry has given boxers from both sides opportunities to visit and fight in the rival's turf. "Cheating" can easily happen via hometown decisions but cheating in weight is definitely a no-no. A trained boxer can easily kill someone 10 lbs lighter. 

 I hope that Mexican boxers can shape up and say no to Mexican goodies during training because the boxing world will miss some exciting bouts if these world-class Mexicans keep on going beyond the weight limits.

Links:

Mayol title fight cancelled
WBC regrets Morales not making weight
Weight Issues hound Pinoy Pride Challengers
Sad State of Boxing
Pinoy Pride 13 Results

Friday, March 16, 2012

Arnold Clavio vs. Azkals

Wow, another vs. Azkals article.

It is quite funny that Filipinos are now being accused as being racists. There was a time when we were at the receiving end of racial slurs, jokes, and incidents. I remember that there was an uproar in the past about a cookie called Filipinos. Filipinas were even once defined as household helper by a dictionary. Times have changed indeed. Filipinos are now being accused of being RACISTS! Whoa!!!

Recently, a magazine cover by Bella Padilla was pulled out because of the use of dark-skinned models with the label stepping out of the shadows. FHM Philippines had to change the cover and the incident received a lot of media coverage.  Padilla was even interviewed by BBC. We really have come a long way.

A few days ago, while commenting about the recent Cristy Ramos vs. Azkals controversy, Arnold Clavio  said some things that ruffled the feathers ( i mean  hair) of the countless of Azkal fanatics. He said in Filipino Hindi naman kayo Pilipino, nagpapanggap lang kayong kayumanggi, hindi kayo dito lumaki, mahirap iyun.” The said statement is now the center of a complaint by the Philippine Football Federation led by its President Mariano Araneta, Jr. A lot of fans were bashing the GMA host. There were reactions from people like Angel Locsin, as well as, Azkal Neil Etheridge.  

It goes to show that the standing of Filipinos have improved. Before, only a handful would want to be called a Filipino. People are now offended if someone said you are not Filipino. Cool! Really? The funny thing though is that only Filipinos are the ones bashing each other. It is only in the world of sports or showbiz that half-Filipinos come to the Philippines to insist that they are Filipino or at least part Filipino. Why? It could be for fame, money, and other personal benefits. 

The influx though of Fil-Ams and other mixed Filipinos have made a few Filipinos feel insecure. Not only do the Fil-foreigners look better, but they also have better training and the background that makes them excel in our country, where sports and showbiz stars are worshipped. In a way, some Filipinos lose jobs, opportunities, or scholarships because teams or schools look overseas for talent. In a way, Clavio's statement is a reflection that these newcomers were raised differently. Their jokes, their lifestyle, their taste, even their language is different. They are Filipino by law, but what is the true definition of a Filipino? Looks? Language? Culture? Do we have a true blue Filipino culture? I am sure many do not know the national anthem anymore or even its title.

What are the advantages of being a Filipino anyway? If you are a Filipino and you have a chance to acquire let's say an American citizenship, would you say no? Are we that "superior" already? I am not saying that half Filipinos are not Filipinos, I am just putting Clavio's statement into perspective. To be racist, you must feel that your race is superior than others or pure breed is better than  muggles (Asong Kalye vs. Half pitbull-half Azkal..hehe). All he was saying is that they were different. A racist would refer to Filipinos as "ugly brown monkeys".  Clavio was actually showing our inferiority complex by admitting that these men are "gwapo".  No doubt about it that a lot of Fil-foreigners look better than the typical Filipino in the eyes of the Filipinos. I do not know where this issue will go and most likely, this could become so big or even a national issue because of the media mileage that this is getting.

To end this analysis. I want to leave one question: If you are a Fil-Foreigner, would you let go of your other citizenship and just be a Filipino? Think about it before accusing any Filipino as a racist.

Links:
If I were 2nd week of March
Cristy Ramos vs. Azkals
Azkal fans denounce Clavio prefer...

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Cristy Ramos vs. Azkals

The Azkals are very famous in the country specially to the Filipino football fans. Well, the more famous one becomes the more intrigues will come your way. The Azkals somehow reached a semi-celebrity status making their actions newsworthy.

The latest "scandal" among the Azkals is one involving former POC president Cristy Ramos.  Ramos accused Lexton Moy and Angel Guirado of sexual harassment while she was acting as Match Commissioner in the Azkals' friendly against Malaysia last week. Ms. Cristy Ramos has written to the Asian Football Confederation disciplinary committee to file a complaint. The Azkals management said they will also have an investigation regarding the incidents.

Well, well, well. I do not know if the news would have been newsworthy if we were talking about the Philippine national Football team 10 years ago but we are in the age of the Azkals. The time were our football starlets get a lot of face time on TV. Some might say that boys will be boys and some fanatics would even put the blame on the woman. 

For me, their actions could just earn them just a slap on the wrist if it were 5 to 10 years ago. 2012 is different though. We now have a semi-pro league and these players are calling themselves professionals. They have to act accordingly. They can still laugh and joke but they should never cross the line in offending officials or fans. They have to apologize and their should be internal punishments. The Azkal management should handle this with class and should not act like congressmen and just say we will investigate the matter. By have some self-imposed punishments, the Philippine Football Federation can show the AFC that they are serious in developing a professional and well-disciplined team.

Link: 

Monday, February 27, 2012

Philippine Soccer Pitches are good for mud wrestling

Soccer or Football is fast becoming one of the most popular team sports in the country. The Azkals or the Philippine National football team has greatly increased the awareness of casual sports fans about this emerging sport. The local football league is getting TV time from AKTV and Studio 23. A lot of news are written about football. Indeed, everything seems to be bright about football.

I went to some local tournaments to check on the status of this sport in Cebu. Well, tournaments are played weekly and there are even teams from out of town. The competition is tough and the players are really passionate about the sport. One thing that I noticed though is that we do not have a decent football pitch to play on. Almost all of the football fields here in the country are not properly maintained. When it rains, our fields become muddy.

Muddy fields definitely will somehow slow the development of our players. We could make this an advantage though. We tell FIFA that Philippine football is not played in grass but in mud. Just like clay is used in Spain and France for tennis while people in England use grass. We can probably say to FIFA that it is what it is. We cannot afford indoor facilities yet and the cost maintaining a good football field is prohibitive. The drawback though is that muddy fields could cause more injuries and some games could involve mud wrestling.

Our country is ranked near the bottom of the FIFA rankings but I am sure that if we trained our players in mud, Wayne Rooney will not be able to outrun the Azkals in their home mud i mean turf.









Links:
Mud Football Fever hits Cebu (caloyphotography.blogspot.com)
9th Thirsty Cup (caloysports)
Football is alive in Cebu (My Life in Cebu)

Monday, February 13, 2012

Sad State of Boxing

Boxing has been one of the Philippines' top spectator sport. Majority of Filipinos, being sports fan or not, know their ring heroes. From Pancho Villa to Gabriel "Flash" Elorde to Rolando Navarette to Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire. These pugilists are our source of pride and are used as symbol of the Filipino's courage and masculinity. So popular is the sport that we see a lot of 18 year old Pinoys go pro rather than go to school. We cannot blame because out of the millions of Filipinos who finished college and even post-graduate studies, only few can claim to be earning as much as Congressman Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao.
The same people who sermon about the dangers of the sport would be cheering and shouting every time the Pambansang Kamao bateers another Mexican fighter. So, are we gonna stop our kids from going to college and start taking boxing lessons instead? Recent events here and abroad can make you think twice. 
Three  recent incidents could in a way discourage many future wold-beaters to pursue a serious career in this sweet science.


Incident 1: Death of Karlo Maquinto 


21 year old Karlo Maquinto was promising young fighter from Ilo-ilo. He was an undefeated prospect (6-0-1) who was known to fight on and rally after a knockdown. He got knocked down twice in the opening round of his last fight and by sheer will, he was able to salvage draw to keep his unblemished record. He collapsed just as the results were announced. He left a very good impression to boxing fans in his last fight but as the saying goes, "he saved the best for last". Five days after the fight, Maquinto died because of some bleeding in his brain. His death raised many issues about how prepared were the organizers of the event. There are people questioning the lack of equipment like oxygen tanks. 
I only have one question, how can we make a dangerous sport safer? Just like in American Football, boxers are risking severe injuries every time they step on the ring. Broken hand, broken ribs, broken nose. and deep wounds are far too common occurrences. Even the greatest boxing champion (Ali) does not look so good years after retiring from boxing. While the NFL is becoming serious about concussions, the boxing world  probably do not even know what it means. Fans love to see boxers get pummeled and knocked out. People boo when 2 boxers are hugging and not dishing heavy pnishment to each other. They are the modern day gladiators. Just like gladiators many of them fight for freedom... freedom from poverty.
The boxing event when Maquinto died was a big event. It was not a boxing card in remote barangays.  It was televised and the promotion was big. If a "big" promotion can be dangerous, how much more are the little known events. Maquinto's death is an eye opener and the leaders of sport should take it seriously.


Incident 2: Donaire beats Vasquez


The Filipino Flash captured the WBO interim superbantamweight by dominating former champion Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. of Puerto Rico. Nonito Donaire practically won all rounds and yet he was surprised when the scorecards were announced, he was down 112-115 in the eyes of the first judge (Ruben Garcia). Luckily, the two other judges gave him the bout with a similar 117-110 score. Donaire scored the only knockdown of the match in the 9th round. How in the world a competent boxing judge can score a match against Donaire? I do not what criteria in judging was Ruben Garcia looking for in picking the winner of the fight. 
That is why a lot of boxers now want to KO his opponent or face the risk of being kayoed by the judges. Donaire almost got robbed. Many Filipino boxers have their dreams crushed by poor judging. They go to far away lands to try to grab some glory only being denied by hometown decisions.  It is probably one of the major reasons that there are very few Filipino boxing champs (it is a similar case of Filipino saints where we only have one even if we are the only Catholic country in Asia). 
To be a champ, one has to overcome great odds sometimes including the judges and the third man on the ring. It is not an easy path for the Filipino pugs.


Incident 3: Casimero gets mauled in a post-fight riot


Johnriel Casimero just became the newest Filipino world champion after capturing the IBF flyweight title by beating 40 year old Argentinean Luis Alberto Lazarte via tenth round knockout in Mar de Plata, Argentina. Before the official verdict could be announced, the partisan crowd started throwing debris and chairs towards the Filipino contingent. Some rowdy fans started to climb to the ring and attempted to maul Casimero and his handlers. The video look liked a riot of football fans after seeing the home team losing. The passion was there indeed and it almost killed our champion.
Even in victory, a boxer can now face the risk of losing his life from angry fans or probably bettors. Boxing is gambler's sport and it could go too far. Fans which could be short for fanatics can take their loyalty to the extreme.
Boxers now can be killed or hurt seriously by their opponents, judges, referees, ring officials, and fans. If you are brave enough to face many opponents (like the movie 300), then start taking up boxing. 


Links:
Pacquiao for VP in 2016???
Manny Pacquiao and his websites
Pro boxers in the 2016 Olympics??