MANILA: World eight-division boxing champ, Sen. Manny Pacquiao, will revive the Go- For-Gold Boxing program of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) the very same initiative that brought him to international fame.
“The Chairman and I have been talking about reviving the program,” Pacquiao was quoted in an Inquirer. net report as saying in Filipino during a meeting organized by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) early this month at Century Park Hotel. He was referring to PSC chief William “Butch” Ramirez. Go-For-Gold was the brainchild of former ABAP leader Mel Lopez and his son Manny.
It was shelved when the group of tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan took over the leadership of the boxing association in 2009, according to the Inquirer.net report. “I fought there a couple of times before I turned pro,” said Pacquiao. “I remember that we produced a lot of boxing talents in Go-For-Gold.”
Boxers who fought at Go-For- Gold represented their town, club, city or province in an Olympic-style competition. The winners in the regional tournaments reached the national finals where they went on to join the national pool.
