Million Peso Baby: Gabuco to receive windfall for world gold medal

Courtesy of ABAP

Josie Gabuco is now one million pesos richer.

The newly-crowned AIBA Women’s World Championship gold medalist will receive P1 million from PLDT through its chairman Manny V. Pangilinan as incentive for a feat never before done by any Filipino.

ABAP secretary general Pato Gregorio announced the good news in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.

(InterAKTV is part of InterAksyon.com, the news website of TV5, which Pangilinan chairs.)

“It’s a historic feat,” said Gregorio. “I’ve seen plenty of Filipino boxers but of them, there’s only one athlete who can accomplish that and it’s Josie.”

“Bilang isang world champion ay makakakuha siya ng P1 million,” Gregorio added to the delight of Gabuco and the rest of the ABAP delegation led by executive director Ed Picson.

“Sobrang thank you sa binigay sa akin. Salamat dahil malaking tulong ito sa anak ko lalo na sa edukasyon niya,” replied Gabuco, a single mother to her five-year-old son.

Gabuco later said after the PSA Forum that she will also use the money to pay the remaining balance to a property she had purchased for her family in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Gabuco captured the very first world amateur boxing title for the Philippines — male or female — in Qinhuangdao, China by defeating hometown bet Xu Shiqi, 10-9, despite a partisan crowd trying to take away the Filipina boxer out of focus.

She earned a trip to the finals by defeating Venezuelan, Mongolian and Canadian opponents.

Her world title win, however, won’t earn Gabuco a slot in the 2012 Olympics as her weight class of light flyweight is not part of the inaugural women’s boxing tournament in London.

Nesthy Petecio, the lone Filipino gunning for an Olympic slot, lost in her first bout in the flyweight division.

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