15th Asian Games

GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, president of her protesting republic, did not happen to be the Queen of Thailand. As a result, she failed to get through when she phoned Joan Tipon, second of two RP boxing gold medalists in the Doha Asian Games.

The peppery President of the Philippines, her voice drowned out by accompanying hysteria, wanted to do what was urgent and appropriate: congratulate a hardworking victor who had made the republic proud.

She failed, but was not exactly miserable.

Mrs. Arroyo must've suddenly discovered the happy limitations of her office.

It was a lot easier talking to a pampered, obedient election commissioner than to a poor but honest amateur boxer.

Later, Tipon would admit hearing, rather faintly, a squeaky voice on the cellphone passed on to him from out of nowhere.

Tipon apologized saying he thought it was a reporter of GMA television on the line.

Tipon and all other Filipino winners in the Doha Asiad are scheduled to be feted at Malacañang.

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Indeed, all that glittered in the Asian Games were gold medals, of which mighty China had a lordly haul.

But the biggest medal, based on tales from Bangkok, was the welterweight gold captured in mythical fashion by Manus Boonjumnung of Thailand.

The Kingdom of Thailand won a total of 12 gold medals, against four by the Philippines, thereby unofficially retaking sporting supremacy in the Southeast Asian region.

Boonjumnung's gold was royally magnified by a call all the way from the Palace of His Majesty, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.

Boonjumnung, who won his country's third Olympic boxing gold in Athens last year, sank to his knees, crying, upon having been spoken to by his King.

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Who knows? Maybe it was the first time King Bhumibol had immediately addressed a victorious subject, right inside the boxing ring.

Boonjumnung, meanwhile, clasped and flashed a framed colored picture of his King on top of the ring.

His Royal Highness could not be blamed for allowing himself to get carried away.

Boonjumnung's story was not the simple story of a comebacking boxer.

His was the heartwarming religion-themed story of great repentance and supreme redemption.

It was a story of a hero who had lost his soul to the devil, so to say, before recomposing himself and coming full circle en route to the gold.

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OK, if Filipinos feel endlessly rewarded by Manny Pacquiao's great exploits, Boonjumnung's story was the sort proud Thais love to tell the whole world.

Everything now points to Boonjumnung representing his country to defend his title in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Now, hold it, please.

The Thai success story does not end there.

You probably failed to notice it, but Boonjumnung, in emphasizing dominance over his overmatched Korean foe, also committed unforgivable wickedness.

How? He treated his foe with record cruelty by making the pummeled Korean appear like stinking garbage.

The Thai hero repeatedly scrubbed his gloves--with dirty disdain, of course--on the face of his outclassed foe.

This, he did, but only after taunting and belittling his adversary through chimp-like prancing.

A jab with an open glove or a sneering slap would've been forgivable.

But it was obviously the devil singing again as Boonjumnung squandered his superiority by exposing an ugly, tyrannical side of the Thai soul.

Boonjumnung's dastardly act, equal to spitting in the face of the foe, was a pure disregard of the Olympic ideals of human development and dignity.

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Take it from one who had covered a good number of international boxing tournaments.

The supreme foulness Boonjumnung essayed as he defiled his foe in that gold medal bout was so far unequaled in amateur boxing annals.

Anyway, knowing the humility, not to mention the legendary spirituality, of the King of Thailand, it was easy to surmise His Highness had also reminded Boonjumnung about the discipline required of big winners.

This could be the reason the over-excited Thai boxing hero knelt and cried after that phone call from his King.

Of course, it's incumbent upon the new head of the Amateur International Boxing Association (Aiba) to ensure there would be no repeat of that Thai atrocity in future international meets.

That's if they are to send the message that the disturbing era of the previous head of the Aiba, the unlamented Anwar Chowdry, has finally ended.