Philippines hails 2 new boxing champions

MANILA - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo led the Filipino people in congratulating today the country’s two newest boxing heroes – minimum weight Florante Condes and flyweight Nonito Donaire – who won world championships less than 24 hours apart over the weekend.

In a statement, the President hailed Condes and Donaire for exemplifying “the fighting spirit of the Filipino athlete.”

“We salute their achievement and rejoice in their victory. These men, described in the press as underdogs, prove they belong to the league of champions,” she said.

In Jakarta Saturday night, Condes carved out a split decision victory over Indonesia’s Muhammad Rachman to snatch the International Boxing Federation (IBF) mini-flyweight crown.

In Bridgepoft, Connecticut, the United States, Donaire scored a sensational fifth-round knockout win over previously unbeaten IBF and International Boxing Organization flyweight titlist Vic Darchinyan of Australia.

The victories of Condes and Donaire raised to 32 the number of Filipino world champions in boxing, including only those in the World Boxing Council (WBC), World Boxing Association (WBA) and IBF.

“Like them, we shall never give up or give in until we emerge victories in the battle against poverty and terror,” the President stressed, referring to her administration’s new economic policy strategy of “8 by ‘08″ or achieving the eight blessings of a strong economy by 2008.

The eight blessings that concretize the Arroyo administration’s commitment of bringing the benefits of the strengthening economy to the people involve jobs creation; better cost of living; a strong peso; more investments; pro-poor education; pro-poor health care, housing, food; green Philippines; and anti-terrorism.