I was trying tto search for the Olympic 2012 medal tally and it came to my mind about the previous successes of amateur Filipino boxers in previous international competitions. I was surprised to see that only one Filipino boxer was sent to the London 2012 Olympics. In search for an answer, this article, Pacquiao’s success foiling Filipino hopes has provided the best answer.
There is no doubt, Pacquiao is the biggest success in Filipino boxing history since Flash Elorde. There is no doubt that Pacquiao has been idolized by most of his countrymen. I am one of them. There is no doubt that Pacquiao became the richest Lawmaker in the country because of boxing. But all his successes got an irony. The amateur boxing in the Philippines is going to the drain.
This is the paradox of the high stakes in professional boxing. It is robbing the country of its most need Olympic medals. Pacquiao should be aware of this. Moeny is not everything but the pride of the nation. When was the last time that a Filipino won a medal in Olympics? It was in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics when Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco got a silver medal in boxing.