COURTESY CALL. Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham 'Bambol" Tolentino (left) welcomes boxer Ronel Suyom at the Knights Templar Rdge Hotel in Tagaytay City on Tuesday (Nov. 29, 2022). Tolentino said Suyom is a potential “next big thing” of Philippine boxing. (Contributed photo)
MANILA – Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham Tolentino sees a bright future for Ronel Suyom whom he thinks as a potential “next big thing” of Philippine boxing.
Suyom settled for the silver medal after losing to India’s Vishvanath Suresh in the minimumweight final of the International Boxing Association Youth World Championships held from Nov. 14-26 in La Nucia, Spain.
“It’s a great showing by a 17-year-old boxer from the South and we’re hoping he can be our next Olympian in the future,” said Tolentino, who welcomed the boxer during a courtesy call at the Knights Templar Ridge Hotel in Tagaytay City on Tuesday.
“He can do a lot better as his trainings and competitions go by. I wish him luck and encourage him to prepare himself as the next big thing in amateur boxing," he added.
Suyom could follow the footsteps of Tokyo Olympics silver medalists Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio, and bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial.
Last month, Paalam claimed the gold medal in the bantamweight category while Petecio got the bronze medal in featherweight category at the Asian Championships in Amman, Jordan.
“Congratulations to ABAP [Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines] for developing a boxer like Suyom, who is expected to win medals for our country in years to come. I am hoping they will find more boxing talents," Tolentino said.
Flyweight John Wayne Vicera, bantamweight Eljay Pamisa, featherweight John Paul Napales, lightweight Crisaldy Beltran and light welterweight Mark Ashley Fajardo also competed in Spain. The team was coached by ABAP program director Don Abnett, Elias Recaido and Elmer Pamisa. (PNA)
