Boxer Ian Clark Bautista honors late Ed Picson with SEA Games gold

PHNOM PENH — Ian Clark Bautista shared that capturing the gold medal in the men's 57kg boxing event of the 32nd SEA Games is his way of honoring the late Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) president Ed Picson, who died last month.

Bautista started out his boxing career with Picson by his side, sharing he was just 14 years old when the latter started convincing him to take the sport seriously. At the time, Bautista weighed only 42 kilos, which is 15 kilos less than his current weight category.

But Bautista worked his way up, with Picson among those who guided him in his boxing career.

"Regalo ko ito kay Sir Ed po, 'yung president po namin dati kasi bago siya pumasok, kakapasok ko lang din po noong 2009. Parang magkasabay kami kaya malaking pasalamat ko sa kanya kasi tinanong niya po ako 'ano, uuwi ka ba?'' Bautista shared.

"Kaka-fourteen ko pa lang no'n tapos 'yung timbang ko maliit. Sabi niya 'uuwi ka ba?' Sabi ko, 'hindi po, sir. Dito po ako mag-stay' So sabi niya punta na raw ako ng Baguio. Doon ako sa Baguio ng dalawang taon, nag-sacrifice ako."

("This is my gift to Sir Ed, our old president because before he came in, I had just come in also in 2009. It was like we came in at the same timeso I have a lot of gratitude for him because he asked me then, 'Well, are you going home?'... I had just turned fourteen back then and my weight was low. He said, 'are you going home?' and I said 'No, sir. I'm staying here." So he told me to go to Baguio. I was there in Baguio for two year, I sacrificed.")

After gaining enough weight, Bautista started donning the national colors, competing in almost all international events such as the Asian Games and World Championships.

But the 28-year-old hopes he also gets the chance to set foot at the Olympics — the only tournament missing under his belt.

"'Yun 'yung last na pangarap ko kasi 'yung Olympics, 'yun na lang 'yung hindi ko nalaruan so lahat, Asian Games, world championships, SEA Games, world qualifying. Olympics na lang talaga kasi ayun din 'yung pangarap ng pamilya ko po eh. Pagsisikapan ko po, step by step," Bautista said.

"Lahat naman dapat pagsikapan kaya wala dapat kumpiyansa kasi ang level ng Asian Games hindi na lang basta-basta e."

("That's my last hope because the Olympics, that's the only one that I haven't competed in. Asian Games, World Championships, SEA Games, world qualifying.... the Olympics are the only competition leftand that's the dream of my family. I will work hard for it, step by step.")

It was a unanimous decision for Bautista @gmasportsph pic.twitter.com/1Tj0ZYMIaD

— Bea Micaller (@beamicallerrr) May 13, 2023

—JMB, GMA Integrated News