Sports Eye
San Fabian leads in boxing
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
ONE seldom hears of a boxing match, either amateur or professional, being organized here in our province. Yes, we know this is not our sport. But unknown to many, this province had already produced a professional world champion, the 1965 World Boxing Association (WBA) junior welterweight king Roberto Cruz of Bugallon. And in the amateur rank, the province already had one medalist in the 1995 Chang Mai Southeast Asia Games – bronze winner Jonjon Tamayo of San Fabian.
This young guy from Barangay Cayanga, after his Chang Mai stint, surprisingly gave up the sport at an early age and never turned pro. I don’t know why. Yes, Jonjon is inactive now in slugfests but is still full of life as a judge, referee and, most of all, a boxing mentor to the kids in his barangay. His father, Joseph, was also a former amateur boxer and erstwhile chairman of their village.
No wonder, three out of five of his fighters bagged first place while the other two landed second during the 2010 San Fabian boxing tournament held January 11-13 at the town’s plaza. What an exceptional feat, ‘ika nga. I was not there during the opening day but I watched the last two days of the tilt.
Talking about boxing in Pangasinan, San Fabian leads all the municipalities and cities in conducting amateur boxing competitions over the last decade. In fact during the 2009 Pangasinan Invitational Boxing Tournament participated in by 14 towns, San Fabian, the host town, emerged as the overall champion and one of its fighters, Ricardo Dulce Jr., topped the regional meet in his division and will represent Region 1 in the coming national championship to be held in Puerto Princesa, Palawan on January 22-29. Obviously, their hard work has been paying off.
I had a long chitchat with Anda municipal councilor Dante de Castro, the ABAP (Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines) representative to the affair, and he said he was very pleased not only with the results of the competition but because also of the huge turn out of spectators. He commended the municipal government of San Fabian spearheaded by Mayor Mojamito Libunao for giving breaks and opportunities to the young San Fabianians who showed their mettle anew in this sport.
De Castro, the 1989 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games silver medalist in karate and now the national commissioner of ABAP referees and judges, pointed out that if all the towns in Pangasinan will copy what San Fabian has been developing for the last ten years, he’s very confident that our big province can produce another international medalist like Jonjon and even a professional world champion like Cruz.
I believe him — because I, too, adhere, to the adage that says, “champions are not born, they’re developed.”
De Castro cited the other Pangasinan towns that organize amateur boxing competitions like Balungao, Sta. Maria, Mapandan, San Nicolas, Rosales, Bolinao and Manaoag. He also said that Lingayen and Dagupan City are also active in boxing tournaments but only during the celebration of the Pista’y Dayat. A ningas-cogon attitude, I should say. Also sad to know that my town Mangaldan was not mentioned. Yes, my town is no boxing buff just a cycling mania.
Allow me to give you the first place winners (only) of the San Fabian tiff: Gerald Tamayo, Christian Bautista and Jonar Tamayo of barangay Cayanga, Daniel Discipulo, Reggie Discipulo and Benedick Discipulo of barangay Tempra-Guilig, Frank Mangsat and Reynante Ignacio of barangay Sobol, Leo Lacunsay and Roy dela Cruz of barangay Colisao, Billy Lambino and Chester Ferreria of barangay Lekep-Butao, Kennedy Zamudio and Kenneth Zamudio of barangay Taculit-Angio, Kyle Nico Garcia and Carlo Lopez of barangay Sagud Bahley, Jayson Tandingan of barangay Cabaruan, Herman Villon of barangay Bigbiga and Ricardo Dulce, Jr. of barangay Angio.
I enjoyed the match. Boxing is my second favorite sport.
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