Sunday, December 02, 2007 Quijano: A good soldier By Jingo Quijano Last Round
SAMMY Gelloani once dreamt of becoming a soldier. This native son of Guimbal, Iloilo passed the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) exams, but other matters in life beckoned, and so he had to forego that dream.
After collecting accountancy and economics degrees, he also attended law school, but his hectic schedule did not sit well with the jealous mistress that the law is.
As fate would have it, in 1985 Sammy became involved in boxing when his boss, Antonio L. Aldeguer started to be interested in amateur boxing, and later eventually forayed into professional boxing.
The rest, as they say, is history.
During those years, Sammy became a different kind of soldier. He became a stalwart of ALA boxing and a fixture in both local and international boxing promotions.
SPLIT. Very recently, Sammy ended his long time affiliation with ALA boxing and has decided to have a go at it on his own. His fledgling SGG Sports has collaborated with the prestigious Golden Boy Promotions and hopes to open up new opportunities for local boxers.
Today, as ALA ward Rey ”Boom Boom” Bautista fights in Manila in a bid to get back on track, does he feel bittersweet that he is no longer part of the endeavor?
“No, not really. Though I am not involved right now with the promotion, I hope and pray that it will be successful. I believe it is make or break for “Boom-Boom”, but he is still young, and with dedication, perseverance and determination, I can say that he still has more than where he is now.
Sam is also very bullish and confident about the future of SGG Sports.
“As far as I am concerned, the future for SGG Sports is very bright. There are a lot of things to do for Philippine boxing in general. With my affiliation with Golden Boy Promotions, I believe that I can help all aspiring boxers to make history in boxing. In SGG Sports, sharing all the blessings with everybody should be the biggest factor to succeed. But why Golden Boy Promotions?
“Oscar dela Hoya is the boxer I admire the most. His sincerity does not end with boxing—it goes beyond—helping the less fortunate—education, housing and so on. And he is so humble. He does not forget where he came from. And that is ONE TRAIT all boxers should emulate,” Sammy enthuses.
Pressed by this writer for details on the split, Sammy—like the good soldier that he is—only maintains, “This is a God–given direction for me and so I have to move on.”
Spoken like a true officer and a gentleman. Good luck Sam. The boxing game will always have a need for a person of your talents and abilities.
REACTION. Felman Gingoyon (cupey_alto3@yahoo.com.ph) emailed me to express his view that the time is ripe for a Filipino boxing magazine:
“Boxing is really booming here in our country. Thanks to the “pambansang kamao” who opened up opportunities for boxers to be known throughout the boxing world. But boxing would not be where it is right now were it not for the fans.
There’s philboxing.com, an internet website about boxing. But how about an all-boxing magazine featuring Filipino fighters, news and events? We can also include amateur boxing, to highlight our quest for that elusive first Olympic gold medal.
Just like the Ring magazine, K.O., World boxing etc. in the USA, up-and-coming Filipino fighters and future foreign rivals can also be featured. What’s your take on this?
I’m all for it Felman. In fact, I once had the occasion to discuss this with Salven Lagumbay, that prolific writing machine, disguised as a journalist. Now, if we can only find someone to bankroll it…Any takers out there? By they way judging from your e-mail add, you must be Tito Trinidad fan.
THE LAST ROUND. It’s on Atty. Lourdes Barcenas, the first ever non- UP alum to be elected to its Board of Regents. Cheers!
