REMEMBER the buzz earlier this year when Kai Sotto signed with the Adelaide 36ers of the Australian National Basketball League? Sotto, the perennial next-big-thing whose talent has yet to blossom, was front page news for joining a team in a country where basketball is hardly a sellout. For what seemed like forever, it was all the local sports pundits could talk about.
I say this not to to mock Sotto—his success on the court will one day make us all proud—but to illustrate the depth of our love affair with basketball. We soak up any glimmer of hope on the hardcourt like zealots, confident that we will one day become a powerhouse that even the 1992 Dream Team would respect. The puso is admirable, if nothing else.
But in reality, that romance is often more akin to one-sided infatuation—we love the game with all our heart, but it sees us as nothing more than a harmless friend. That’s not always a bad thing. But rather than devote all our focus on a playing field where we’re doomed to underdog status, perhaps we should also pay more attention to sports where we’ve seen success time and time again.
The sweet science of being Filipino
Our first taste of boxing glory came in 1923, when Pancho Villa knocked out Jimmy Wilde in seven rounds to win the world flyweight title, becoming the first Asian to win such an accolade. Since then, we’ve seen one fistic great after another with each passing era. Ceferino Garcia. Gabriel "Flash" Elorde. Ben Villaflor. Rolando Navarrete. Luisito Espinosa. Gerry Peñalosa. Donnie Nietes. Today, Jerwin Ancajas, John Riel Casimero, Rene Mark Cuarto, and Vic Saludar all hold major belts.
There’s a name missing from that list, but even without mentioning the world’s most accomplished boxer-politician-singer-actor-endorser, it’s obvious that our country is a hotbed for pugilistic talent. All these big names were born, bred, and learned their craft right here on Philippine soil. And as the 2020 Olympics have shown, there are more of them waiting in the wings.
Of the four medals we netted in Tokyo, three of them were won inside the ring. First, there was silver for Nesthy Petecio, the farmer’s daughter who grew up in poverty in Davao del Sur. Then came Eumir Marcial, the Zamboanga native who dedicated his Olympic bid to his father, with a bronze. Topping that off was Carlo Paalam, who ascended from scavenging at a city dump to winning Olympic silver.
These fighters didn’t just spring up overnight to return home with shiny medals. While we scrutinized every move the Gilas team made, they were winning, albeit with much less fanfare. In 2019, Petecio won gold at the AIBA Women’s World Championships and the SEA Games. Alongside her, Paalam likewise topped his SEA Games division. That same year, Marcial won bronze at the AIBA Championships, and he would go on to win his pro debut at the end of 2020.
While the national basketball program is never short on sponsors and funding, some of the boxers have been vocal about their financial struggles and applied their skills in other ways to make ends meet. And while the college freshmen we cheer for have a clear-cut path to the pros, the support system for our fighters isn’t quite up to par.
What happens after the Olympics?
While we celebrate the triumphs of our Olympians today, there’s always the question of where they’ll go from here. When the Gilas players aren’t training for international competition, they’re either salaried professionals playing for teams with deep pockets or varsity players from top universities. Once boxers are done representing the country, some choose to continue on to the pro ranks, where the path to success is a much steeper climb.
Venture into a boxing gym, and you’ll hear any number of tales worthy of an MMK special. The could-have-been amateur who had to turn pro early to support his family. The veteran whose shot at glory was squandered by his manager, and is now taking any fight he can for meager paychecks. The mumbling coach with the thousand-yard stare who took on one too many challengers in his heyday and is now paying the price.
“Unlike dito sa NCR, [sa probinsya] meron kasing magandang grassroots program, merong amateur boxing in place na gumagana at tumatalab sa mga lugar na ‘yun,” says JM Siasat, a boxing analyst and former amateur. “They see that, and they see the likes of Manny Pacquiao na rags to riches, and it really inspires them to actually become a fighter.”
As amateurs lucky enough to land in a good program, the aspiring fighters receive guidance and a few incentives for their victories. As professionals, though? A per-round fee of P1,000 is the going rate. “It has been that way for so many years,” Siasat explains.
For pros just starting out, four-round fights are the norm, meaning they’ll clear P4,000 for a night’s work before they pay their living and training expenses. If they’re lucky, they’ll step into the ring just three or four times a year. Some might fight for glory, but for many pro boxers, each punch represents the struggle to eke out a living. Their golden ticket lies in the chance to ply their trade overseas. Some are fortunate enough to do so, while so many others fall by the wayside.
More support could mean more sustainable success
The good news is that our current amateur boxing program is producing results.
“It’s really hard to tell what is the state ng support system sa boxing ngayon, kasi one, nakikita natin yung resulta ngayon ng Olympic boxing team natin, maganda. It’s the best result yet sa ating Olympic boxing history. It means yung current na sistema is working. They even hired a foreign coach in preparation for this Olympics,” Siasat says, while noting that some athletes still struggle to get by.
As for the pros? “It’s really survival of the fittest.”
The system won’t change overnight, but nor will it without any intervention. Perhaps if the audience for our up-and-comers was more visible, then the sponsors and added financial support might come for the struggling amateurs and the P1,000-per-round professionals. It’s been proven time and again that we can produce great fighters. But what if there were more?
By all means, love basketball. Support the Sottos of the world. Wish them well. Praise their prowess. Revel in their triumphs. Wear their jerseys. But spare a thought for our aspiring pugilists. If cagers with bright futures deserve our attention, then so do the boxers who are fighting for our country’s name and for their own survival. Let’s show the present and future Petecios, Marcials, and Paalams that we’re with them long before they climb through the ropes.
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