PARIS-BOUND. Boxers Nesthy Petecio (3rd from left) and Aira Villegas (3rd from right) pose with Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) officials during the 1st World Qualification Tournament in Busto Arsizio, Italy last week. Others in photo, from left are ABAP secretary general Marcus Manalo and coaches Don Abnett, Reynaldo Galido and Mitchell Martinez. (Contributed photo)
MANILA – The Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) will send a lean team to the 2nd World Qualification Tournament scheduled from May 23 to June 3 in Bangkok, Thailand.
“There are still under evaluation, we don't need to send all to Thailand because we want our coaches to focus on the boxers who have good chance of qualifying,” ABAP secretary general Marcus Jarwin Manalo said in the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex on Tuesday.
“We don’t have a final lineup yet. But we’ll definitely be more quality than quantity going to the qualifiers,” added Manalo during the session presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, PLDT/Smart, MILO, and the 24/7 sports app in the country, ArenaPlus.
Also present during the weekly forum were coaches Reynaldo Galido and Mitchell Martinez, and ABAP treasurer Karina Picson, an international boxing technical delegate. They are expected to help in evaluating the boxers.
The members of the national team will take a short break before they resume with their training.
The preparation for the Thailand event includes holding a camp at the US Olympic Training Center in Denver, Colorado starting April 9, and joining a tournament from April 14-21.
The boxers will return to the country and leave for Bangkok on May 9 for another two weeks of training camp before competing in the Olympic qualifier.
ABAP said already assured of slots in the Bangkok-bound squad are Hergie Bacyadan and Olympians Rogen Ladon and Carlo Paalam.
Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas earned Olympic berths in the 1st World Qualification Tournament in Busto Arsizio, Italy last week.
Petecio, Villegas and early qualifier Eumir Marcial will join the training camps in Colorado and Bangkok as part of their training for Paris. (PNA)
