TRAIN LIKE A CHAMP

HARRY’S CHOICE. National champion Harry Tanamor uses Titans boxing gears.

TRAIN LIKE A CHAMP

         AFTER pool and racket sports, basketball-mad Philippines is infected with another fever.

         In the 90s, when television began showing the exploits of superstars Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante, pool fever hit the country, with pool halls sprouting everywhere from commercial centers to shopping malls.

         Before that, pool enthusiasts were mostly young male students dreaming of one day getting back at the pool sharks at backstreet billiards centers. But Reyes and Bustamante changed it all, and now players of all ages—male and female—wield cue sticks. And from local tables and pure wooden cues, imports began coming in, with high tech designs featuring carbon tips and graphite shafts, to give the player an edge.

         Then came badminton fever. Although no Filipino can be considered stars in the international badminton scene—medals are rare—the sport boomed.

         Warehouses and garages were transformed into badminton centers, trips to the gym became family affairs, and of course, there rose the equipment wars, from the lightest steel to the even lighter and stronger high modulus carbon fiber materials, plus a wide range of strings and other gear.

Now it’s boxing.

         Even before Manny Pacquiao achieved superstar status, many Filipinos have excelled in the sport, both in the amateur and professional ranks. In fact, the only two Olympic silver medals the Philippines has won were delivered by pugilists—Anthony Villanueva in the 1964 Tokyo Games and the amiable Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco in the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Now quite a number of prizefighters have also succeeded in the pro ranks, including Nonito Donaire and Donnie Nietes, waving the red white and blue before and after bouts to the delight of millions in the country and around the world.
It’s boxing fever.

         Pacquiao gave the sport a huge boost pretty much like how Reyes and Bustamante did it for pool. Boxing has been added to the calendar of many multi-sport events in the country, more amateurs are raring to turn pro, and even the casual fan and simple fitness enthusiast—men and women—are getting into the action with the addition of boxing and mixed martial arts into the programs of many health and fitness clubs.
Now as pound for pound king Pacquiao continuous to bring honor to our country, a lot of people are also hitting the bag, looking to emulate Pacquiao’s strength and speed or hoping to duplicate the figure of top female fighters Melinda Cooper, Laila Ali and Kyra Gracie.

         Just like in any sport, proper gear is important for optimum performance and injury prevention, starting with the TKO cowhide leather gloves, which are designed to snugly conform to the fist, with maximum cushioning and support in every punch, with softer cowhide leather to ensure extra comfort.

         Also in Toby’s Stores are leather Titans punching mitts, with velcro closure and super shock absorbing padding ready to take on strong punches, fast jabs or heavy hits. Develop accuracy and speed in no time with Titans, a brand trusted by the Amateur Association of the Philippines.
The same company also developed the Titans Mexican boxing gloves—in red—high performance genuine leather gloves featuring long cuffs with lace, maximum comfort fit and long-lasting absorbing foam, and the Titans X-Lace boxing gloves—in black—for superior hand protection made of the same leather material plus an X-lace design for superior fit.
For a higher level of combat action and training, the lightweight Titans Mix Martial Arts gloves are a must—in red or black—with solid curve foam padding and made of genuine leather with rubber padding and velcro strap closing.

         The TKO brand ringside trainer, meanwhile, is for the enthusiast looking to train at home, as it provides a total boxing workout with the combination of a heavy bag for power and speed ball for enhancing hand-eye coordination, rhythm and timing.
With the popularity of the Filipino sports heroes, many unfortunately take advantage, with pirated videos of the local pugs’ matches abroad on display in stalls every street corner, and fake merchandise being sold in local clothing shops.

         However, many Filipinos now understand that buying counterfeit merchandise would mean losses by their heroes, and authentic—such as the limited edition Nike Pacquiao shirts in selected Toby’s Sports outlets—is the way to go.
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About Toby’s Sports

Toby’s Sports is the number 1 and largest sports retail chain in the Philippines, known for its widest selection of sports gear, quality service and innovative store design. Toby’s offers a line of over 101,600 sports products from 148 internationally known sports brands, covering 46 different sports. To date, Toby’s has  40 branches nationwide, 29 of which are company – owned stores located in Metro Manila, and 11 of which are franchise stores strategically located in cities throughout the country.

Toby’s Sports also introduced the first interactive sports store concept in the Philippines, the “Toby’s Sports Arena.” Designed to resemble a real sports arena Toby’s pushes to give customers more than just a shopping experience as it is equipped with a unique oval track design and offers interactive attractions such as  (1) THE SHOOTOUT, a half-court basketball shooting area with an authentic, professional court; (2) THE ROCK, a 25-foot high freeform indoor climbing wall that presents varying challenges for beginner, intermediate or advanced climbers. Toby’s Sports Arena stores are located in  Mall of Asia, SM The Block, Alabang Town Center, SM Pampanga, and Cagayan de Oro City.

Toby’s is also instrumental in discovering many of the country’s sports heroes through its grassroots sports development programs like the Toby’s Youth Badminton Championships, Toby’s Juniors Volleyball League, and Toby’s Tennis Festival which are yearly sports tournaments that Toby’s organizes.

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