UNDEFEATED middleweight prospect Weljon Mindoro is open to the possibility of becoming part of the Philippine boxing team for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.
Mindoro, along with his handlers, Gerry Balmes and Orly Barcelango, all agreed that being part of the national team is certainly a huge honor.
They’re just waiting for a formal communique from either the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines or the Philippine Olympic Committee to make everything official.
During the presentation of the 3rd Asian Youth Games medalists on Monday, POC president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino mentioned the inclusion of the 25-year-old Mindoro in the boxing team list.
“Wala naman kaming ihi-hindi. Sa tingin ko ngayon mas maganda kung maging pormal na lang yung pagmi-meeting diyan,” said Barcelango in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
“So sa ngayon hindi kami mag-oo and hindi rin kami mag-hindi. Pero kung mapag-mitingan ng maayos, wala namang problema. Hindi namin ipagdadamot si Weljon dahil isang karangalan yun makapagsilbi para sa bayan.”
Mindoro, a native of Zamboanga Del Sur, is a Batang Pinoy product winning a bronze medal in Tagum, Davao del Norte edition, and Palarong Pambansa, in which he snatched a silver medal in Pangasinan. And yet never made it to the national team.
And so, representing the Philippine team in the SEA Games would be a dream come true for him.
“Excited ako diyan na makalaban sa SEA Games. Kung manalo ako sa SEA Games, mas maganda kung makalaban ako sa Olympics,” said Mindoro in the same public sports program presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, POC, MILO, and the country’s 24/7 sports app ArenaPlus.
The 5-foot-11 Mindoro carries a fearsome record of 15-0-1 with 15 KOs and idolizes eight-time division champion Manny Pacquiao and Mexican boxing superstar and world champion Canelo Alvarez.
At the moment, Mindoro and his team are set to leave for Japan to continue his training and look for possible sparring partners, who are actually lacking here in the country.
“Lahat ng malalaking boxers dito sa Pilipinas inubos na lahat ni Weljon,” said Balmes. “Kaya mag-stay kami sa Japan kasi may malalaking sparring partners doon. Yan ang plano ng team.”
Trainer Joven Jimenez and former IBF super-flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas also attended the Forum to show their support for the upcoming Filipino fighter, who served as sparring partner of Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Marcial for his last fight against Venezuelan Eddy Colmenares during the Thrilla in Manila 50th anniversary celebration.
“Sakto pala na nagte-training siya kung sakali for SEA Games. Yan ang purpose namin na hindi puwedeng matengga lang si Weljon,” added Barcelango.
