Long-time national boxing coach Nolito “Boy” Velasco is retiring effective Dec. 31, 2021, the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) announced.
In a release, the ABAP said Mr. Velasco, 58, has submitted a letter to the boxing federation, expressing his intention to call it a career as a coach and that he was “looking forward to enjoy my retirement with my family, as I give them the time and effort I missed because of working.”
Mr. Velasco is the older brother of Olympic boxing medallists Roel (bronze, Barcelona ’92) and Mansueto (silver, Atlanta ’96).
The ABAP said it has accepted the coach’s request for retirement in a letter signed by president Ricky Vargas and secretary-general Ed Picson just as it wished Mr. Velasco well in his future endeavors.
Mr. Velasco has been a member of the national boxing team for four decades in various capacities, including as a athlete from 1983 to 1985.
In this year’s Tokyo Olympics, he was part of the coaching staff of the team that gave the Philippines two silver medals (Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam) and one bronze (Eumir Felix Marcial).
