THE father of reigning world super-bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr. welcomed the news that his son has parted ways with controversial nutritionist Victor Conte.
Donaire Sr. believes the `Filipino Flash’ would be better off without Conte beside him.
“Wala akong nakikitang bagay na maitutulong si Conte. Lumaki at nag-champion si Junjun na walang ganung mga gamot o kung anuman,” said the elder Donaire when Spin.ph asked him about the sudden split between his son and the controversial nutritionist.
“Sina Muhammad Ali dati 15 rounds (pa ang laban). Walang iniinom. Basta’t ensayo lang, tumatakbo ka. Nag-i-sparring,” added Donaire Sr., who nonetheless, was surprised with the split coming three weeks before his son's unification match against Guillermo Rigondeaux at the Radio City Music Hall in New York.
No reasons have been given for the split-up, although Conte has been working on Donaire’s nutrition and conditioning for the past five fights including the last one against Mexican legend Jorge Arce.
Conte was the founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO) who was later implicated in a drug scandal for allegedly supplying performance-enhancing drugs to shamed professional athletes such as Olympic gold medalists Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery, among others.
Donaire Sr. believes taking different forms of energy drink or supplements connotes cheating.
“Sa akin wala yun. Parang pandaraya yun. Nanlalamang ka ng kapwa pag may mga ganung iniinom,” stressed the 54-year-old former amateur boxer, who always gives premium to his old-fashioned style of training his fighter.
The father-and-son tandem first made noise when the `Filipino Flash’ dealt former International Boxing Federation flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan his first career loss with a stunning fifth-round knockout in 2007.
But the championship partnership didn’t last as the relationship turned sour in 2008 that eventually led to their split.
While he no longer has anything to do with his champion son's career, Donaire Sr. is nonetheless pleased to hear the news that Conte has also bolted the camp of the Filipino.
“Tama lang na naghiwalay sila. Kasi may natural power naman si Junjun (Nonito, Jr.), masipag naman siyang mag-ensayo at bata pa siya. Di niya kailangan tulong nun (Conte),” added the elder Donaire.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
