Friday, May 09, 2008 Davao fails to send team to National Open slugfest By Marianne Saberon-Abalayan
BROTHERS Engelbert and John Vincent Moralde made Davao City proud when they bagged gold medals in boxing for the Davao Region Athletic Association (Davraa) in the recent 2008 Palarong Pambansa in Puerto Princesa.
Both boys' dream of winning more golds for the city and landing a spot to the national training pool turned into a nightmare when Davao failed to send a team to the ongoing PLDT-Smart National Open Boxing Championships in Iloilo City.
Officials from Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (Abap) Davao City chapter reportedly cited financial constraint as the reason for not sending a team, in the process depriving the boxers of a stint in a national tournament.
Abap-Davao is headed by Davao City Councilor Edgar Ibuyan, who earlier promised to send a team to Iloilo, but apparently failed in keeping his word.
The Moraldes are from Buhangin and were accompanied by their mother Erlinda and elder brother Edwin Jr. in gracing the regular Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum Thursday at the Tower Inn.
"Sayang. Gipaasa man mi. Nagpaabot mi sa wala. Gusto gyud namo mudula sa National Open (It's very unfortunate. We were promised but we waited for nothing. We really wanted to compete in the National Open)," 15-year-old Engelbert said.
John Vincent, 13, said: "Kaya gyud ungta namo madepensahan among pagdaug namo sa Cagayan de Oro last year kung nakadula ra mi sa Iloilo. Nag-andam gyud mi (We really could defend the titles we won in Cagayan de Oro if we were able to make it in Iloilo. We really prepared hard."
Erlinda, who arrived last May 5 after a long boat trip from Palawan where he gave her sons moral support, was also dejected of the development.
"There were too much expectations. My elder son Edwin even cried upon hearing they couldn't go to Iloilo. I've learned there was only P10,000 available budget for 20 Abap Davao boxers who needed P79,000 for their trip, food and other expenses," Erlinda said.
She said she was really upset and shared the sentiments of her sons and the other boxers who trained for three months in preparation for the Iloilo meet.
"They underwent three months of rigid training, bearing two meals a day because they have to keep their weights only to be told there was no budget for them to go to Iloilo," Erlinda said.
She said the boys were all looking forward to see action in the annual national slugfest.
"This is the biggest Abap national tournament. This is the venue for Abap to scout potential boxers for the national team. It's sad the boys missed their chance," Erlinda added.
Engelbert won the secondary boys paperweight gold medal, while John Vincent bagged the powderweight gold in the Palaro boxing competition in Puerto Princesa City.
Calinan, meanwhile, beat the city to the punch by sending some 10 boxers in Iloilo through the efforts of Davao City Councilor Jose Louie Villafuerte.
