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

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!

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

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

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...

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: 

Azkal Scandal??? Ramos files sexual raps

Azkals boss say sorry

Cristy Ramos won't withdraw complaint
Arnold Clavio vs. Azkals

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)

Sinulog Cup Results (cebulive)

9th Thirsty Cup (caloysports)

Football is alive in Cebu (My Life in Cebu)