ILOILO CITY ? A former martial arts champion who now runs a gym here for martial arts, wushu and boxing, has offered to help the embattled Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) in its quest for the country?s prolonged search for the elusive gold medal in the 2010 London Olympics.
?Instead of pointing an accusing finger to anyone (for the country?s failure to get a medal in the recent Beijing Olympics), let?s begin the search this year, not next year,? declared Arnold Tinagan, owner of Tinagan Martial Arts gym here.
Tinagan said he has collaborated with Iloilo City Rep. Raul Gonzalez, Jr. in holding an inter-barangay amateur boxing tournament starting on Nov. 22-23 at the Robinsons Mall.
?We will help the ABAP. We will be part of the solution, not the problem,? said Tinagan, who is former martial arts champion in Western Visayas.
He said they have requested each of the city?s 180 barangays to send at least 10 amateur boxers in the two-day tournament which will continue in December until 2010.
Tinagan has produced world champions in wush. He said he will begin his ambition of producing the country?s next Olympic gold medalist this time in amateur boxing.
Tinagan?s prot?g? Jane Estimar won the silver medal in wushu in the Beijing Olympics. His other ward, Rene Catalan, was a former wushu world champion and gold medalist in the Asian Games.
Anthony Villanueva and Mansueto ?Onyok? Velasco were the country?s only Olympic silver medalists in history.
Featherweight Villanueva lost to Russia?s Stanislav Stephaskin in the finals in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics while lightflyweight Velasco lost to Bulgarian Daniel Petrov Bjilov for gold medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
The country?s lone entry in boxing in the recent Beijing Olympics Harry Ta?amor lost in his first bout to an African boxer.
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