VELASCO GIVES RP FIRST GOODWILL GAMES MEDAL
Manila, July 30, 1998 - Pinoy boxer Roel Velasco outslugged American Jose Navarro, 9-2, Tuesday and put the Philippines for the first time ever in the medal tally board of the Goodwill Games at the Madison Square Garden in New York.
The 24-year-old Navyman, the lead boxer of the newly-formed Team Caltex Philippines, allowed the taller American to grab a 2-0 lead in the first two rounds of their light flyweight (48 kg) quarterfinal bout before getting in the groove and scoring almost at will in the next three of the five two-minute rounds to win pulling away.
``Para akong diesel,'' admitted Velasco who clinched the bout as early as the fourth round with a 6-2 lead. ``Mabagal sa umpisa pero hindi mapigil habang tumatagal.''
So smashing was Velasco's finish that the American, despite frantic urgings from his corner, was constantly staggered by left straights and right hooks while failing to hit the bobbing and weaving Filipino in the final three rounds.
The victory gave the Filipino southpaw from Bago City an automatic bronze medal while setting him up for a silver medal fight on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. against Alexsan Nalbaniyan of Russia, who dished out a big 11-5 win over Mexican Liborio Romero in the other Last 8 fight of the division.
Velasco was also a silver medalist in last year's World Championship in Budapest, Hungary.
``Magandang panalo. Sinunod ni Roel ang aming gameplan mula umpisa hanggang matapos,'' exclaimed Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) head coach Nolito ''Boy'' Velasco.
ABAP president Manny T. Lopez, in a telephone conversation with Velasco, cautioned Roel from getting over confident noting that his next foe is a veteran of international tournaments.
``Roel has again etched his name in the history books of Philippine sports and has put the country in the annals of the international sporting scene but it is not yet time to celebrate. The next fight will be a big and tough one. And he must not be contented with that automatic bronze medal,'' Lopez told Nolito.
Reported by: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 1998 by PHILIPPINE
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