PHILIPPINES – Pinoys are no strangers to the galvanizing effect of sports, what with perennial basketball fever, the recently discovered love affair with football, not to mention the Pacquiao phenomenon so pervasive it crosses socio-political borders, even bringing local crime rates to near-zero levels.
So why don’t we have an Olympic Gold?
This is a timely question, with the 2012 London Games just over the horizon. It is also a Pandora’s box that brings to fore so many other issues, not the least of them resources, funding and the pervading politics in sports. That same question is also at the core of the Suntok Ginto Movement, a sports and advocacy marketing initiative by J. Romero & Associates (JRA) for the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP).
Most Filipinos are familiar with Onyok Velasco’s near-miss at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Thirty-two years before that, Anthony Villanueva also almost made it at the 1964 Tokyo Games. “We knew about Anthony and Onyok only when they were in contention for the gold medal”, says J. Romero SVP Manny Gutierrez. “In contrast, we followed the likes of Jaworski and James Yap from the UAAP or NCAA to the PBA. If we can support amateur boxers the same way we take care of basketball players, imagine how high Filipino amateur boxers can fly!”
Suntok Ginto, with its tagline “Nasa Boxing ang Pag-asa Para sa Olympic Gold” (In Boxing is the Hope for Olympic Gold), aims to spotlight the country’s amateur boxers, who can compete in the Olympics unlike their professional counterparts such as Nonito Donaire and Manny Pacquiao. Two TV commercials have been produced, and print ads, PR campaigns, and social media are in place to continue the awareness campaign. The Suntok Ginto anthem was set to music by Juan Miguel Salvador and has received radio airplay for some time now.
With the help of J. Romero & Associates, ABAP has embarked on this ambitious campaign to enlist every Pinoy’s support for the country’s Olympic boxing bets. Donations to Suntok Ginto are accepted at SM malls, PLDT offices and Banco de Oro branches, audited by SGV & Co.
It is an exciting time for Philippine amateur boxing; especially with the Olympic qualifiers, the World Boxing Championships, to be held in Azerbaijan in September. ABAP hopes that more supporters—private individuals and big businesses alike—will join hands through Suntok Ginto, and perhaps this time the dream can finally come true.
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