Boost to boxing champs

• Source: http://www.journal.com.ph/sports/boost-to-boxing-champs
• Sunday, May 27, 2018

By Ed Andaya

WANTED: Financial assistance to retired world and national boxing champions.

The Games and Amusement Board (GAB), headed by Chairman Baham Mitra, sounded the call as it started to knock on the doors of top private individuals and corporations in the country to help in the efforts to uplift the conditions of past Filipino boxing champions.

“We believe there are a lot of private individuals and corporations capable of supporting sports, like the successful “Godfather” system implemented in the past,” said Mitra during his monthly meeting with officers of TOPS (Tabloid Organization in Philippine Sports) at the GAB office in Makati recently.

“In boxing, we have former world and national champions who are in dire need of help. All of them have brought countless honors to the country during their prime,” added Mitra, a three-term Congressman and one-time Governor of Palawan.

“Unfortunately, some of them can barely make both ends meet after their boxing careers are over.”

Mitra made the observations right after GAB announced the release of P3,000 monthly financial assistance to former world champions Tacy Macalos, Eric Chavez and Joma Gamboa.

The three retired world boxing champions are part of the 20-man list receiving financial assistance from the Singwangcha Foundation upon the initiatives of GAB.

Macalos captured the IBF world light flyweight title kast Nov. 5, 1988; Chavez won the IBF world minimumweight belt last Sept. 21, 1989; and Gamboa took the WBA world minimumweight last Aug. 20, 2000.

“We are truly blessed that the Thailand-based Singwangcha Foundation, headed by Thai philanthropist Mr. Singwancha, took the efforts to help our former boxing champions thru this monhly financial assistance,” added Mitra.

GAB Boxing and other Contact Sports chief Dioscoro Bautista said 17 other retired boxing champions are qualified to receive the monthly financial assistance from the Singwangcha Foundation.

In a list given to People's Tonight by GAB Boxing and other Contact Sports Asst. Chuef Jackie Lou Cacho, the retired boxing champions are Bernabe Villacampo (title acquired: 1969), Rene Barrientos (1969), Erbito Salavarria (1970), Ben Villaflor (1972), Rolando Navarrete (1989), Frank Cendeno (1983), Bobby Berna (1983), Dodie Boy Penalosa (1983), Rolando Bohol (1988), Luisito Espinosa (1989), Rolando Pascua (1990), Manny Melchor (1992), Morris East (1992), Gerry Penalosa (1997), Eric Jamili (1997), Malcolm Tunacao (2000), and Florante Cibdes (2007).

Not included in the list are active or deceased Filipino world champions.