Pilipinas Olympic Games Boxing Legend

 Mansueto Velasco Jr.

Filino Boxer

Mansueto "Onyok" Velasco Jr. is a Filipino retired boxer, comedian and occasional actor from Bago, Negros Occidental, Philippines. Competing in the 48 kg category he won a gold medal at the 1994 Asian Games and a silver at the 1996 Summer Olympics, the Philippines' only medal at those Games.

Image owned by Journal News Online

Personal Information

Full Name:            Mansueto Velasco Jr.
Nickname:   Onyok
Born:     January 10, 1974 (48 years old)
Nationality/Living: Bago, Negros Occidental, Philippines
Height:     1.57 m (5 ft 2 in)
Weight:     48 kg (106 lb)

Sport
Sport          Boxing
Weight Class     Light Flyweight

Medal Record Mens Amateur Boxing Representing the Philippines 🇵🇭 Olympic Games 1996 Atlanta     Light Flyweight (-48 kg)  Asian Games 1994 Hiroshima  Light flyweight -48 kg) Asian Amateur Boxing Championships 1995 Tashkent  Light Flyweight

1996 Atlanta Olympic Boxing Feat

Published September 7, 2021, 8:02 PM

by Ben Rosario

The House of Representatives has acknowledged 1996 Atlanta Olympics boxing silver medalist Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco Jr. as the man who inspired Filipino athletes to pursue their dreams of becoming medalists for their country.

Speaker Velasco with Onyok Velasco and Tokyo Olympics medalists

Speaker Velasco with Onyok Velasco and Tokyo Olympics medalists

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco aired this tribute to Velasco as he and the Lower House awarded the boxer-turned-actor with a Congressional Certificate of Recognition 25 years after nearly winning the Philippines first gold medal.

The boxer joined 2020 Tokyo 2020 Tokyo Olympic medalists Hidilyn Diaz, Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Marcial in the Lower House plenary where they received their respective awards given by the chamber.

Speaker Velasco, in his speech, recognized Onyok’s inspirational win that paved the way for future Filipino athletes in bringing pride and glory to the country.

“Bago dumating ang pandemya, bago ang ating paglahok sa 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, 25 years ago, binigyan ng dangal at ibinalik ng isang Mansueto ‘Onyok’ Velasco Jr. ang respeto ng mundo sa bansang Pilipinas sa ginanap na 1996 Summer Olympics, (Before the pandemic, before we joined the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, 25 years ago, Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco Jr. earned and gave the Philippines the respect during the 1996 Summer Olympics)” the Speaker said.

“Facing world-class competition, he gave us a silver medal in boxing during the 1996 Summer Olympics,” said the House leader.

Onyok fought in a controversial bout against Bulgaria’s Daniel Petrov Bojilov for the light-flyweight gold medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Many experts believe that Velasco was robbed of what would have been the country’s first gold medal, as Bulgaria won the judges’ favor in that fight.

Aside from a Congressional Certificate of Recognition, Onyok also received cash incentives from the contributions of House members in the “pass the hat” drive initiated by Speaker Velasco.

Manila Bulletin