Villanueva given monthly pension

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) board approved yesterday the granting of a lifetime monthly pension of P7,000 to Anthony Villanueva, the Olympic Filipino hero who had offered to sell his 1964 Tokyo Games silver medal for P1 million to help make both ends meet.

"I believe this amount is what he really deserves considering that he made the nation proud with his Olympic feat," said PSC chair Carlos Tuason, who had promised to help the boxer during the PSA Awards Night last week.

Villanueva, now 54 and who works as one of the trainers at the Elorde boxing stable, settled for the silver when he lost to Soviet fighter Stanislav Stepashkin in the finals of their featherweight clash in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

The STAR broke the news of Villanueva's attempt to sell his medal since he couldn't earn enough for his family, including four children, with a meager income as a boxing trainer. He was feted as one of the Athlete of the Millennium awardees.

The PSC has granted monetary allowances to deserving athletes in the past, including Mansueto "Onyok" Velasco, who also bagged a silver medal in boxing in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

"There is no difference between the Olympic silver medal that Velasco and Villanueva won," said Tuason. "The only difference was it took us 35 years to recognize how precious and priceless Villanueva's achievement was." -- Joey Villar

The PSC also gave Villanueva P200,000 in March two years ago as a one-time gratuity for his achievement.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Cito Dayrit was the first to offer aid to Villanueva, who migrated to the US in 1976 and recently suffered a mild stroke. Dayrit said if Villanueva would settle permanently here the POC would help him start a business of his own by providing a loan from the Olympic body.