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The early birds
By JAIME K PIMENTEL

Sydney, August 11. The Philippine Olympic boxing team arrived in Sydney without fanfare on Monday, May 8, the first 2000 Olympic Games competitor to do so.

Preceding the team by only two days was Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines president Manny Lopez, who immediately rented a three-bedroom cottage in the Sydney suburb of Liberty Grove, a stone's throw from the Olympic Games village.

Back row - L-R: Larry Semillano, Anthony Iqusquiza, Arlan Lerio, Romeo Brin. Front row - L-R: Ruel Laguna and Danilo Lerio. Photo courtesy of Jaime K. Pimentel.

The full contingent comprised boxers Danilo Lerio (light-flyweight), Arlan Lerio (flyweight), Ruel Laguna (bantamweight), Anthony Igusquiza (featherweight), Larry Semillano (lightweight), and Atlanta Games veteran Romeo Brin (light-welterweight); head coach Nolito Velasco, assistant coach Pat Gaspi, and international referee Rogelio Fortaleza.

Coach Nolito Velasco	Asst Coach Pat Gaspi	Ref. Rogelio Fortaleza

With them was Cuban coach Raul Leranza, the strategist who took the Philippine team to the Atlanta Olympics and the world championships in Russia.

"We will be based here until after the Olympic Games," Lopez said.

"The Games are still five months away, but then the team can stay better focused on its mission.

"We're here to win medals, nothing less."

With those words, Lopez lost no time in booking the Inner Western Police-Community Youth Club boxing gymnasium for daily workouts.

He instructed the local Cabanela Boxing Brotherhood to arrange for sparring sessions at various boxing gyms across the Sydney metropolitan area.

Lopez also asked the brotherhood to schedule a dual meet with the Australian boxing team.

There was absolutely no time for sight-seeing, as the team got down to business at their adopted gym.

Training was fast-paced and deadly serious, although the boxers appeared to thrive in their new surroundings.

Sydney's winter chill simply added to the challenge ahead.

"Malamig, pero okay lang," remarked Brin at the team's first workout.

The Filipinos were to fly out to Mexico City in June for a tournament of South American nations. They were due back in Sydney after two weeks.

Jaime K. Pimentel is a Sydney-based journalist and sub-editor with Fairfax Ltd. He has a bachelor's degree in Journalism from Ateneo and a master's degree in Advertising and Newspaper Management from Northwestern University (Chicago). He was previously a lecturer in Journalism at San Beda and UST. Jimmy is also a scriptwriter and producer of Dramatic Philippines. He loves and practices the sports he writes about. He was a boxing gold medallist during his Ateneo days, an official of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines as a referee and judge, and an Ateneo instructor in P.E. (boxing and swimming). In Australia, he was also an amateur boxing referee. emanila team

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