Former world beater Pical lives out a quiet retirement<\/p>\n
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A little over 20 years ago, Indonesian professional boxing
\nentered a new era when Ellyas \"Elly\" Pical became the first of
\nhis countrymen to earn a world championship belt.<\/p>\n
Pical knocked out South Korean Ju Do Chun to win the
\nInternational Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight belt in
\nJakarta on May 3, 1985.<\/p>\n
As millions of local boxing enthusiasts watched the live TV
\nbroadcast at home, Pical, 25, stopped Chun in the eighth round
\nafter a punishing left hook to the jaw.<\/p>\n
The feat was not to be repeated for more than 18 years, until
\nChris John (featherweight) and M. Rachman (mini flyweight) became
\nworld champions.<\/p>\n
The glorious moment is still vivid in Pical's mind.<\/p>\n
\"It's the victory I'd love to remember all my life. That made
\nme the first Indonesian to become the world champion. I'm proud
\nof the achievement,\" he said in a recent interview at his home in
\nthe suburb of Bintaro, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"I dedicated it to the country and state,\" he added, his tone
\nrising with pride.<\/p>\n
It was a dream come true for a young man who had dropped out
\nof the fifth grade and took up boxing to keep him out of trouble
\nin his small village in the Maluku archipelago.<\/p>\n
After his triumph, he met then president Soeharto, the
\naudience a token of the government's gratitude for Pical's proud
\nachievement.<\/p>\n
He lost the crown a year later but regained it within six
\nmonths, indicative of the ups-and-downs of his career.<\/p>\n
His bid at a unification bout ended with him suffering a
\nknockout by WBA champion Khaosai Galaxy of Thailand in 1987. He
\ncame back to take the vacant title before relinquishing it for
\ngood with a defeat by Juan Polo Perez.<\/p>\n
The loss came amid the boxer's increasingly disharmonious
\nrelationship with promoters.<\/p>\n
Today, Pical has little to show for his former success --
\nexcept the memories.<\/p>\n
With wife Rina Siahaya -- a dentist -- and two sons, he lives
\nin a modest home in the Bintaro housing complex, a 1995 Ford
\nparked outside their fence.<\/p>\n
The former world champion, now 45, shows a few extra kilograms
\nfrom his heyday, no longer the wiry little battler with the
\nlethal left hook.<\/p>\n
His is not proficient in Indonesian, having used his Ambonese
\ndialect most of his life, and his wife helps in explaining his
\nthoughts as he stumbles over words.<\/p>\n
Both are disillusioned by the throwaway attitude toward past
\nchampions in Indonesian society.<\/p>\n
\"I can describe him as having been dumped after all he did for
\nthe nation. The government doesn't care about him anymore,\" Rina
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Her brief stint as a manager for her husband was difficult,
\nespecially in dealing with the close-knit, boys' club of the
\nboxing community. After her husband's career ended, she has been
\nthe family's breadwinner through her dentistry, while Pical
\nspends his days exercising and in church activities.<\/p>\n
Elly seemed destined to become a boxer, his involvement in
\nstreet fights getting him into trouble, including expulsion from
\nschool in the fifth grade.<\/p>\n
But his frustrated parents did not support him when he said he
\nwanted a career in the ring.<\/p>\n
\"My mother protested that how could I box with my small body.
\nBut I was able to convince her and I promised her that if I were
\na success I would bring her along to Jakarta,\" Pical said.<\/p>\n
From the age of 14, he embarked on disciplined training. \"His
\nmotivation was incredibly strong,\" Rina said.<\/p>\n
He won best boxer status in the 1977 Golden Gloves, as well as
\nnotching the best boxer in the national championships in three
\nconsecutive years from 1980-82.<\/p>\n
His historic international victory came at the expense of IBF
\nreigning champion Ju Do Chun, who had been considered almost
\ninvincible.<\/p>\n
Pical remained in competitive boxing until 1989. Cesar
\nPolanco, Khaosai Galaxy and Juan Polo Perez were the boxers who
\ninflicted three of the five defeats he suffered during his boxing
\ncareer.<\/p>\n
He managed to avenge the defeat against Polanco in a title
\nrematch in Jakarta in 1986 before he lost the title for the
\nsecond time when he was knocked out in the 14th round by Galaxy
\nin a WBA title bout in February 1987.<\/p>\n
His loss to Perez in Roanoke, Virginia, in October 1989
\neffectively put an end to his career.<\/p>\n
On the outs with promoters, Elly's expected rematch with Perez
\nnever materialized, although he did take part in exhibition
\nfights before finally hanging up his gloves for good in 1992.<\/p>\n
With his career over, the former world champion found he had
\nlittle money in the bank to live off, the sad story of many
\nboxers, poorly educated and none too savvy to the slick ways of
\nthe boxing world.<\/p>\n
Rina said Pical was taken advantage of by others.<\/p>\n
\"People thought Elly had a lot of money. In fact, he didn't.
\nHe got a little portion of his bout fees. Elly was messed around.
\nThat's why I stepped in at the recommendation of the KTI
\n(Indonesian Pro Boxing Commission),\" Rina said.<\/p>\n
From the Rp 100 million for the fight against Galaxy, Rina
\nsaid, Pical received only Rp 30 million.<\/p>\n
She also noted the contract which tied her husband to a
\nlifetime partnership with his promoter.<\/p>\n
\"The contract was written in English. How could they do that?
\nElly doesn't understand Bahasa, let alone English.\"<\/p>\n
The beating he took both in and out of the ring seems to have
\nhad a lasting impact. He said he did not want his two sons --
\nLorinly, 17, and Matthew, 15, -- to take up the sport.<\/p>\n
\"I prefer they become something else than boxers,\" he said,
\nshowing a scar suffered in the Galaxy fight.<\/p>\n
While applauding the boom in televised boxing bouts, Pical
\nsaid local boxers generally lacked the powerful punches needed to
\ncompete on the international level.<\/p>\n
He added that small purses for boxers -- the complaint of
\nChris John in his acrimonious parting with his former coach --
\nremains an issue.<\/p>\n
He also points to his own circumstances today in the effort to
\nhelp athletes of the future.<\/p>\n
\"The government may also have to start paying attention to
\n(successful) athletes in their retirement. This will be an
\nincentive for outstanding performances in the future.\"<\/p>\n
When asked what he would have hoped for from the government,
\nhe said: \"I wish the government had given me a job.\"<\/p>",
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