Monday, April 16, 2007 Tipon unfazed by coming of Fil-Am boxers By Henry C. Villalva
THE 15th Asian Games bantamweight boxing gold medalist Joan Tipon of Sitio Sibucao, Barangay Banago, Bacolod City does not feel threatened with the news that a group of young Filipino-American amateur boxers are set to arrive in the country to join the tryouts for the national team.
"If they come and eventually earn slots in the national team that will be good news for our country.
That means we will have a stronger team to compete in this year's Southeast Asian Games in Thailand because we really need to field a strong team against the Thais," Tipon told Sun.Star Bacolod last night in a telephone interview.
He said he does not feel threatened at all by the arrival of the Fil-Ams. "We have heard reports that many of them are in the heavier divisions so that means they will not clash with us who are in the lower categories," the soft-spoken Bacoleño explained.
Tipon also confirmed that the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) headed by now AIBA secretary general Manny Lopez, is looking at possibilities sending at least eight Filipino boxers in different weight categories for the 2008 Beijing Olympics or double than the four-man boxing team made up of Violito Payla, Harry Tañamor, Chris Camat and Romeo Brin that saw action in the Athens Olympics three years ago.
Tipon also confirmed that they are slated to undergo tryouts for the composition of the RP team that will compete in a total of thirteen overseas exposure tournaments this year.
A former child prodigy of the Negros Amateur Boxing Association (NABA) headed by former Bacolod City councilor Juan Ramon 'Monju' Guanzon, Tipon said he agrees with the bold prediction earlier made by Lopez that the Philippines will win its first-ever Olympic gold medal through boxing in next year's Beijing Olympics.
