The bell had barely rung in Remar Brillo’s preliminary match for the Philippine Sports Commission-Pacquiao Amateur Boxing Cup when he sent his opponent sprawling in the canvas after a mere 14 seconds.
The Sultan Kudarat native is already a veteran of around a hundred bouts at just 18 years old, and had no problem dispatching his opponent, Zaldy Ricopuerto of Malungon, Saranggani via several combination punches to the head.
“Sabi ni coach, kung makaya mo i-knockout, i-knockout mo na,” said Brillo in an interview with ABS-CBN, who progressed to the Mindanao quarterfinals that will be held in Kidapawan City in February, along with eight other boxers.
The teen has been boxing since he was nine, and despite his success he has opted to concentrate on training before turning pro.
“Pag-iisipan ko po ng husto,” he said. “Sa ngayon, training po muna.”
His coach, Jimmy Cubay, Brillo’s coach in the Sultan Kudarat boxing team for the past two years, is confident about the youngster’s ability to fight for the country in international competitions.
“Pag-isipan po namin itong kay Reymar. Wala akong masasabi sa batang ito. May lakas, tapang, at mabait pa,” Cubay said.
The PSC-Pacquiao Cup is a joint undertaking between the government sports agency and Senator Manny Pacquiao that hopes to find talents that can be endorsed to the national pool.
In coordination with the Philippine Sports Institute and the Amateur Boxing Alliances in the Philippines, the qualifying rounds of the tournament will be held December 16 to April 7 in different parts of the country.
The preliminary rounds for the national finals will kick off April 14-15 in Mandaluyong City followed by the quarterfinals on April 21-22 in Bohol. The semifinals will be held in Tagum City in Davao del Norte on April 28 while the finals will return to General Santos City on May 5.
