Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino welcomed on Tuesday 17-year-old Ronel Suyom – a potential “next big thing” of Philippine boxing.
“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 of Soyum, who paid the POC chief a courtesy call at the Knights Templar Ridge Hotel in Tagaytay City.
Soyum, a prized find from Agusan del Norte, proudly wore on his neck the silver medal he clinched in the minimumweight class in the International Boxing Association (Youth Men’s and Women’s World Championships held in La Nucia, Spain, over the weekend.
“He can do a lot better as his trainings and competitions go by,” Tolentino said. “I wish him luck and encourage him to prepare himself as the next big thing in amateur boxing.”
Suyom is tipped to follow the careers of silver medalists Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio and bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial from last year’s Tokyo Olympics.
Interstingly, Paalam and Petecio also validated their medals in Tokyo. Paalam won a bantamweight gold and Petecio a featherweight bronze at the Asian championships in Amman, Jordan, a month ago.
“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 ,” Tolentino said. “I am hoping they will find more boxing talents.”
Suyom yielded to India’s Vishvanath Suresh in the battle for the gold in La Nucia. He was one of six boxers sent to the world youth championships. They were coached by ABAP program director Don Abnett, Elias Recaido and Elmer Pamisa.
