PRESIDENT Rody Duterte’s attendance on opening day of the recent Olympic Qualifying tournament for basketball confirmed his affinity to sports. Aside from basketball, boxing is also close to his heart.
He once witnessed a fight by eight-time division world champion Manny Paquiao, who likewise won a national seat as senator in the recent election.
Amid the gloomy atmosphere brought about by the failure of the Gilas team to secure an Olympics slot, here comes a lady boxer by the name Gretchen Magbanua Abaniel, who made her country proud in the world stage.
The 30-year-old Palawan native eked out a rousing unanimous decision victory over a bigger, stronger Petcharas Supercham of Thailand to bag the vacant Women’s International Boxing Association and keep Women’s Global Boxing Union minimumweight titles in Sidney Australia.
Abaniel, who is currently the Women’s International Boxing Association at Women’s Global Boxing Union minimumweight title holder, thus became the only Filipina boxer to become triple world champion.
And probably, Abaniel is the only boxer from the Philippines to hold three world titles, all at the same time.
Abaniel’s victory came in a hush, while the country was going gaga over its basketball team’s quest for an Olympic slot.
Nevertheless, Gretchen treated it like a battle for a nation wanting in heroes everyday and dedicated the victory to a newly seated President, who is adored by millions of Filipinos.
“Tulad po na marami, umaasa din po ako ng pagbabago and para po kay President Digong ang panalong ito at para sa bayan.”
Sans the attention and glory, Gretchen could only wish that the President Rodrigo Duterte would hear about her victory and invite her to Malacanang.
“Pangarap ko po na kahit minsan lang ay makamayan ko ang Presidente. Nag-try po ako sumulat sa mga dating presidente pero hindi po ako napansin.”
Gretchen will arrive back home from Australia on Wednesday, and she expects no grand welcome usually attributed to a basketball team for winning a regional tournament.
But all she wants is an audience with the President. And that would inspire he to aspire for more glory and give pride to the country.
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Jesse Ong, a long-serving communication officer at Pagcor, lauded the appointment of Andrea Domingo as chairperson of the country’s gaming agency.
Ong is my former colleague in the sports media. He will be serving his third Pagcor chief after Efraim Genuino and Bong Naguiat, appointees by former presidents Gloria Arroyo and Noynoy Aquino, respectively.
Ong lamented the little attention to sports by previous Pagcor chiefs.
What sets Domingo apart from her predecessors was her long, unblemished government service record being a former congresswoman, chairman of the Bureau of Immigration and head of the Philippine Reclamation Authority.
There is a strong clamor by sports officials, including come-backing Philippine Sports Commission chairman Butch Ramirez, for Pagcor to remit the 5 percent revenue share to the sports agency, as prescribed by law.
The sporing community is excited—and anxious same time—on what will happen next.
“We have a new head that’s known for her excellent government record and credibility. I am excited to serve under madam Andrea,” said Ong.
Ong has been with Pagcor for 13 years already, dishing out his creative juices in the communication department. He was responsible for coining the agency’s 2015 national slogan: Tanglaw ng Sambayanan, Kaagapay ng Kaunlaran.”
His project “Old slot machine-turned school desk” won the 49th Anvil Awards for best PR Practices.