What a day for Rey Danseco

Talented boxing journalist and respected boxing Judge Rey Danseco, has returned to where it all began, to receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award for Sports and Journalism, at his Alma Mater, The Calauag Central College, Quezon in the Philippines.

This is the ninety second anniversary of its establishment, and Rey is proud to have been chosen among only eight former students to receive this achievement accolade at this Grand Alumni Homecoming. He had attended from 1980 to 1990, when he graduated.

Rey had a flair for journalism from the very beginning. Working towards his University Degree in Journalism, he spent 150 hours on the job training at newspaper Bandera Tonight. They liked what they saw and snapped him up. When time was up, they hired him on the spot. Rey also worked on the Philippines Daily Inquirer and the Manila Times at just twenty four, he became the youngest Sports Editor in the Country, at the impactful newspaper Hard News. To take the bristle out of comments about his youthful appearance in the world of hard bitten, grizzled sports hacks, baby-faced Rey grew a moustache, to add gravitas and camouflage to wunderkind. No kidding!

Rey perceptively recognized and realized that Philippines boxers were getting scant international sports news exposure or coverage, especially on the internet. He joined website Boxing Talk and then BoxingScene.com to rectify this with his pen and keyboard. His stories put Filipino fighters on the global map, alongside the established greats including Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez and Marco Antonio (another baby face) Barrera. Rey did the leg work. He went to gyms, spoke to boxers, trainers and managers and crammed his contacts books with their telephone numbers.

Impressed, The Games and Amusement Board proposed Rey to be a boxing Judge. But to his surprise, this was vocally opposed by a fellow sports writer in attendance. Dr Naseer Cruz, in charge of the Boxing Division of The Board spoke up for Rey. And after a boxing event that Rey judged, Supervisor Mick Croucher from Australia, praised his focus, concentration and performance. Rey`s boxing judging started in 2004, and he was determined to prove himself a perceptive, dedicated and hard- working Boxing Judge. In 2008, WBC President Jose Sulaiman assigned Rey to his first international match for a world championship eliminator in Mexico City.

Rey said: “I believe boxing judging is a natural gift. I always strive to be an inspiration to those who have inspired me. I owe so much to Don Jose who had the confidence in me. He advised me not to look at the flags of the boxers but to look at and assess the talents and the qualities of their actions. I impartially dedicate my focus, concentration, heart and soul into judging each and every round.”

Rey has won Boxing Judge of the year several times in the Philippines and also the WBC Judge of the Year Award. This latest accolade from his school means everything, because this is where it all started. His roots, which define him.