The Philippine Sports Commission Chair William Ramirez is
looking out for a potential Cuban coach to lead the national boxing
team for the 2008 Olympics.
Ramirez said the Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is
"bent on winning the country's first Olympic gold in Beijing" and
prefers a Cuban coach to handle the training, the local newspaper
Sun Star reported Thursday.
He said he will fly to Cuba anytime and possibly bring back Raul
Liranza, who produced an Olympic silver medal winner in the 1996
Games, the report said.
Ramirez also announced that Filipino athletes are expected to go
through extensive training abroad and see action in qualifying
competitions for the Olympic Games.
Veteran Harry Tanamor is the first boxing qualifier but the
country hopes to gain more slots in another qualifying tournament
held in Thailand next month.
Aside from Tanamor, taekwondo's Tshomlee Go and Mary Antoinette
Rivero, swimming's Miguel Molina, JB Walsh, Daniel Coakley and Ryan
Arabejo and archery's Mark Javier have also qualified for the
Olympics, the report said.
(Xinhua News Agency December 27, 2007)