“Sana sa boxing we can get a gold (medal) not only in Asian Games but in the Olympics as well,” telecom titan and sports patron Manny Pangilinan said during the weekly Scoop sa Kamayan.

Still smarting from what he termed as a “verbal malfunction,” telecom titan and sports patron Manny Pangilinan has two wishes he wants granted.

“Sana sa boxing we can get a gold (medal) not only in Asian Games but in the Olympics as well,” Pangilinan said during the weekly Scoop sa Kamayan.

“Boxing has the best chance of getting the gold in the Olympics.”

Not only that, Pangilinan said during an unusually big turnout of media representatives not only from print but from broadcast as well.

“Sa basketball naman sabi ko sana makapasok tayo sa semifinals,” said Pangilinan, who is the acknowledge godfather of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (Abap) and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).

Pangilinan’s company PLDT is throwing its full backing to boxing and basketball, sports that has a huge following among Filipinos and the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, late this year could determine if the programs that have been lined up are starting to pay off.

Even if boxing produces in Guangzhou and basketball finishes in the top four, Pangilinan hinted the battle is only half-won because the ultimate goal is the 2012 London Olympics.

Joining Pangilinan were key officials of the ABAP and SBP – Ricky Vargas and Patrick Gregorio – who have been tasked to make sure the programs are applied to the letter in close coordination with the Philippine Sports Commission, which recently forged a partnership with the Abap.

Still, the affair did not end without somebody saying something about the incident that saw Pangilinan being castigated right and left for his alleged speech boo-boo.

Pausing for a second, Pangilinan said he was deeply hurt by the criticisms that he took from the Ateneo.

“Bugbog. Masakit. Pero we have to move on,” said Pangilinan, who revealed that he has tendered his irrevocable resignation as chairman of the board of the Jesuit-run school.
 
“There’s no turning back… Para matahimik na ang buong (Ateneo) community,” he said.