ACHIEVEMENTS

Olympic Games

• 1988 Seoul Light Flyweight – Bronze

Southeast Asian Games

• 1985 Bangkok Light flyweight – Gold

• 1987 Jakarta Light flyweight – Gold

Hall of Fame

• 2021 – Philippine Sports Hall of Fame Inductee

BIOGRAPHY

Born on March 15, 1962, Filipino boxer Leopoldo Serantes would ignite the nation’s comeback in the Olympic boxing scene.

Having served in the Philippine Army in his amateur years, Serantes tried out for the Philippine boxing team in the 1980s.

As a strong suit in the national team, Serantes quickly proved himself a capable fighter as he emerged champion in two consecutive Southeast Asian Games – the 1985 Bangkok and 1987 Jakarta editions, respectively.

A more remarkable feat was his bouts of showing at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul where Serantes broke the country’s 24-year medal drought in boxing, after bringing home the bronze medal in a gallant stand against Ivailo Marinov of Bulgaria in the semifinals of the light flyweight division.

That same year, to commemorate his achievement, the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) bestowed him the PSA Athlete of the Year Award.

Before his passing in 2021, Serantes was inducted into the fourth batch of the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame.