Metro> Expats
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Metro> Expats
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Fighting to save the little orphans
By Qin Zhongwei (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-15 09:03
Meet Vince Soberano: Successful software engineer, college film major and pizza delivery boy. Oh yes, and he's also a Thai boxing world champion. The 44-year-old former World Welterweight Champion now runs the Black Tiger Hero Club, the famous Muay Thai boxing gym in Beijing. Today the Filipino American trains 300 fighters and is a perfect example on how to live the life to the fullest. He became hooked on Thai boxing when he first saw a fight in Bangkok, and started training at the age of 13. He was a natural and won a series titles the World Professional Muay Thai Federation (WPMT) titles during the mid-1980s and early 90s. But Vince never took fighting as a full-time career. Instead, he immigrated to the US and studied film as his major at a university in California. He did many odd jobs after graduation. He was a paperboy and a pizza delivery guy before a job working in a software company. "But Thai boxing has always been my passion," he said. The lure of the ring finally made him quit his office job not long after being sent by the company to open its China office in 2005. And that's how his Thai boxing school began. Starting a business in China is difficult in many foreigners' eyes, but not for Soberano. While most fighters may have "zero" understanding of how business works, Soberano had already mastered good people skills, presentation and developed a sharp eye for opportunities. And he does not see "red tape and people work" as drawbacks because it is easier to open business in Beijing more than ever before. "The hardest part for foreigners to run a business in China is the language," he said. "Therefore, partnering with Chinese is a good choice. And if you don't know any Chinese, you need to have Chinese-speaking employees you trust so that you could know the way around, the policies, where to get things, etc." Soberano is lucky that he not only made sound partnership with local friends, but also met Feifei, his beautiful Chinese girlfriend. And now, he is carrying out a new mission to spread the good word about Thai boxing. Inspired by a picture of a Chinese orphan his girlfriend showed him four months ago, he began holding a charity Thai boxing championship to show his love and encourage these children in the country he has lived for almost four years. And the event is set to open on Nov 11. Proceeds from the charity event will be donated to the China Children and Teenagers Foundation. "There was a time when I used to fight for money, but this time, I feel like I am fighting for a cause," he said. But he hopes the Thai boxing event will not only financially help the orphans, but also inspire them by the perseverance that the sport requires. And that is why this fighter with a record of 65 wins and 2 losses decided to fight again in the upcoming event. "As Thai boxing is a combat sport, in order to survive, you have to really prepare and train hard, or else you will get really hurt. Life is also a fight, no one want to be the last place," he said. "We hope children can be inspired this way in their growth, because, no matter the kids from the States or China, they are our future." |
