Catalan: Boxing's loss is wushu's gain

He was pitted against fighters who were a lot heavier compared to his 52-kilogram frame in preparation for the biggest tournament of his career. But Rene Catalan hardly complained.

"There is no gain without pain," Catalan, who won the country's fourth and last gold medal in the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, said. "My companions in the national pool gave me a real hard time. I had sparring partners as much as 70-kgs. But all the training came in handy in Doha".

Skilled in muay thai, taekwondo, judo and boxing, Catalan related that when he heard the government was offering P1.5 million incentive to Doha gold medalists, he became even more motivated to become a champion.I wanted to help my newly-widowed mother and his family, especially my four young siblings, who are still in high school, Catalan said.

Rene's father, Rodrigo, who was a martial artist himself, passed away in November.Showing strength that belied his height, Catalan, barely 5-feet-2, came away with a 2-0 victory over a lanky Vietnamese fighter to win his first Asiad medal."I wanted to win so I could offer my victory to my father, too," Catalan said, and I'm sure he's happy up there.

Born in Sta. Barbara town, Iloilo, Catalan, 28, has nurtured the dream of seeing action in the Asian Games --- not in the sport he has now mastered but in boxing --- when he was nine years-old. "It wasn't in boxing but definitely, it's still a dream come true," the fighter, who has collected seven international wushu titles in a span of three years, added.Catalan ruled the 7th Wushu World Championship in Macau in 2003, the 6th Asian Championship in Yangon, Myanmar and the 2 nd World Cup in Guangzhou, China, the 8th World Wushu Championship and the 23rd Southeast Asian Games in Manila in 2005 and the 3rd World Cup in Xian, China in 2006.

'I'M NO MANNY'

Part of his incentive for his Asiad triumph was spent for the repair of his family home the purchase of a second-hand jeepney for passenger use and five brand-new motorcycles – two of which were given to his brother and a brother-in-law – -- to start their tricycle business.Most of the rest of his cash prize, he said, went to 'balato' to friends and relatives in Manila and Iloilo.

"They think I am as rich as Manny Pacquiao," he said smilingly, apparently referring to doleouts sought by neighbors, friends and relatives of the boxer after his recent victories.Catalan said he is looking forward to the cash incentives promised to him by Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas, Iloilo City

Mayor Jerry Treñas and Santa Barbara MayorIsabelo Maquino when he paid them courtesy calls when he flew home last week of December.

COACHING OFFER

The Asiad champion said he wants to become an enlisted personnel of the Philippine Army. "I hope this time I can make it," he said. A change in the Camp Peralta management in Jamindan, Capiz fizzled his plan in 2000 when he served as taebo instructor at the military facility.Unable to get into the Army, Rene shifted his attention to wushu and joined the 7th National Championships in Pasig City, where he emerged champion of the 48-kilogram category.

"I haven't played wushu competitively before," he said. "I just followed what was instructed to do and not to do during the match".This year, Rene wants to make his presence felt in two major events – the 9th World Championship in China in November and the 24 th Southeast Asian Games in Thailand in December."Playing in the Beijing Olympics is also in my priority list," he said, "although wushu is still a demonstration sport."

Catalan's skill and winning attitude has not gone unnoticed internationally. Sports officials from Yemen have approached the Filipino athlete to train their wushu players for a monthly pay of $1,000."That's tempting,", he said, "but I still want to play for the country, especially in the SEA Games .. that may have to wait." *