Garcia Would Rather Put His Hands in His Father’s Hands

Trainer Eduardo Garcia, who runs the La Colonia Youth Boxing Club in Oxnard, considers himself adept at taping fighters’ hands.

His son, Robert, who will meet Jose Luis Madrid in a 10-round super-lightweight bout Saturday in Indio, backs up the claim.

Robert, the North American Boxing Federation champion, is ranked No. 2 by the International Boxing Federation and No. 3 by the World Boxing Council.

“I’ve tried different people and my dad does it the best, the way I like it,” Robert said. “Some people do it too tight and some people don’t do it tight enough.”

The elder Garcia, a former strawberry-field supervisor who also trains Olympic welterweight hopeful Fernando Vargas, doesn’t like anybody else taping his boxers.

Garcia recently recalled the time he allowed a former boxer to tape his older son, Daniel, a former pro who fought as a junior welterweight.

“It was a mess,” Garcia said. “I waited until [the guy] left the room and I retaped [Daniel]. I had to do it in a hurry too, because the fight was ready to start. . . . Never again.”

More taping: Eduardo Garcia doesn’t think much of Robert Alcazar as a trainer.

Alcazar, who tutored Oscar De La Hoya to the Olympic gold medal in the lightweight division at Barcelona in 1992, has been pushed recently to the background at the De La Hoya camp by veteran Mexican trainer Jesus Rivero.

It all started after De La Hoya struggled to beat John John Molina in February 1995. Alcazar was criticized for failing to instruct De La Hoya between rounds. Rivero prepared De La Hoya for his technical knockout of Julio Cesar Chavez for the WBC super-lightweight belt June 7 in Las Vegas.

But Garcia gives Alcazar big points in one area.

“He’s the best at taping hands I’ve ever seen,” Garcia said. “He’s a master at it.”

Free ad: It’s not often a school such as Cal State Northridge gets the opportunity to advertise its volleyball program to the world.

That’s why Matador Coach John Price made an important request of one of his former players, Axel Hager, who will represent Germany in beach volleyball at the Olympics next month.

“I told him if he gets interviewed on television to make sure and wear a Cal State Northridge volleyball shirt,” Price said.”

So, did Hager agree to do it?

“I don’t know,” Price said. “He says he has to check with his sponsors.”

Hager, a second team All-American for the Matadors in 1993, will be only the second Northridge volleyball player to compete in the Olympics.

The first was Bob Samuelson, a 1989 graduate who played in the 1992 Barcelona Games.

Quotebook

“WARNING: The use of this weight room is restricted to Sylmar High School students and persons that live in the residential area of Sylmar High School and do not attend another high school. Students who violate this rule may suffer loss of eligibility. NO VISITING!”

-- Signs posted last week in and around the Sylmar weight room.

Things to Do

Many of the area’s top high school basketball teams will compete in the “War on the Floor” tournament at Sylmar High through Monday. Pool play continues today at 9 a.m. Bracket play begins Saturday and concludes Monday with a championship game at 6:30 p.m. and a consolation final at 8:10.

The Sprint Car Racing Assn. will be at Ventura Raceway on Saturday at 7 p.m., with a 30-lap feature scheduled. Dwarf cars are also on the program.

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Contributing: Fernando Dominguez, Irene Garcia, Paige A. Leech, Bryan Rodgers.