The 34-year-old Crisano yesterday said he might reconsider the offer of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines to fight for the country in super heavyweight division of the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games this November.
“I’m going there right now and I want to show them what they’re dealing with because I used to fight in Brooklyn when I was 17 years old,” Crisano told mediamen before heading to the boxing gym at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
The ABAP has sought the services of Crisano after his contract with Barako Bull in the PBA expired recently.
ABAP official Patrick Gregorio, who also heads Smart Sports, said they hope the 6-7 Crisano’s athleticism, strength and fighting heart will be a big boost in the country’s gold medal bid in the Asiad.
“Not everybody knows there’s no qualifier in boxing in the Asian Games so we’re taking advantage of the situation here,” said Gregorio.
“We also know that aside from being big and athletic, he is also a former boxer and great dancer, which is a big factor in the sport. Besides, we also would want to set an example and open the door to other big basketball players who will be cut or whose contract will expire in the future to turn to boxing,” he said.
Crisano actually met with ABAP officials last Saturday where he reiterated his intention to stick to basketball for a few more years.
“It’s actually an open answer because I’m not saying yes or no, I’m just open to all the possibilities,” said Crisano.
An Asian Games gold medal winner can earn as much as P3 million in incentives as promised by ABAP chair Manny V. Pangilinan when he and president Ricky Vargas took over ABAP last year.
An Asian Games silver is worth P1 million while a bronze is worth P500,000.
The Philippine Sports Commission has also its own set of incentives for medal winners in the Asian Games.
Source: Joey Villar | Philstar.com
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