Philippines, 16 Mar 2026
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


ABAP prepares for SEA Games


PhilBoxing.com



ABAP medal hopeful Eumir Marcial.

ABAP is leaving no stone unturned in getting ready for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games here late this year. Boxing will be staged at the Makati Coliseum with 13 gold medals at stake, eight in the men?s division and five in the women?s. It?s a stark contrast from only six gold medals that were up for grabs at the 2017 edition in Kuala Lumpur.

In 2017, Thailand took top honors with a harvest of two golds, three silvers and a bronze. The Philippines was close behind with two golds, a silver and two bronzes. The Filipino podium finishers were middleweight Eumir Marcial and lightheavyweight John Marvin with a gold each, bantamweight Mario Fernandez with a silver and lightwelterweight Charly Suarez and flyweight Ian Clark Bautista with a bronze apiece. There was no women?s boxing in the SEA Games that year.

Marcial, 23, Marvin, 26, Fernandez, 25 and Bautista, 24 are still in ABAP?s elite pool with 13 others. Suarez has turned pro and is no longer with ABAP. Also in the elite men?s pool are lightflyweights Carlo Paalam, 20 and Ramel Macedo, 23, flyweights Rogen Ladon, 25 and Marvin Tabamo, 22, bantamweights Ryan Boy Moreno, 21, Jorge Edusma, 23 and Jummilardo Ogayre, 19, lightweights Criztian Pitt Laurente, 19 and Mario Bautista, 21, lightwelterweights James Palicte, 24, Ronald Chavez, Jr., 19 and Sugar Ray Ocana, 22 and welterweight Joel Bacho, 26.

Of the 17 in the pool, seven are in Team A, namely, Paalam, Ladon, Fernandez, Palicte, Ian Clark Bautista, Marcial and Marvin. In the elite women?s team are lightflyweight Josie Gabuco, 31, flyweight Irish Magno, 27, bantamweight Aira Villegas, 23, featherweight Nesthy Petecio, 26 and lightweight Carolyn Calungsod, 19.

In the coming SEA Games, the men?s weight classes are lightflyweight (46-49 kg), flyweight (52 kg), bantamweight (56 kg), lightweight (60 kg), lightwelterweight (64 kg), welterweight (69 kg), middleweight (75 kg) and lightheavyweight (81 kg). The women?s weight categories are lightflyweight (48 kg), flyweight (51 kg), bantamweight (54 kg), featherweight (57 kg) and lightweight (60 kg). In 2017, boxing was limited to six men?s divisions----lightflyweight, flyweight, bantamweight, lightwelterweight, middleweight and lightheavyweight.

Additionally, ABAP has five youth male boxers in the pool receiving monthly allowances from the PSC. They are flyweight Criz Russu Luarente, 17, lightflyweight Kenneth de la Pena, 17, lightweight Norlan Petecio, 17, lightflyweight Rejemelyr, 17 and flyweight John Vincent Pangga, 16. De la Pena and Pangga are in Team A.

ABAP secretary-general Ed Picson said in the pipeline are male and female candidates in the elite, youth and junior divisions. For elite men, the candidates are flyweights Regie Suganog, Crisan Paul Diacamos and John Ignatius Macas, lightweights Paul Celis Bascon and Argie Emendo, lightwelterweight James Colina and welterweight Marjon Pianar. For elite women, the nominees are bantamweights Nicezzaa Petecio and Claudine Veloso and lightweight Analyn Velasco. For youth boys, the candidates are bantamweights Flint Jara, 17 and Randy Tanodra, 17 and lightweight Charlie Calago. For junior boys, the candidates are pinweights (46 kg) Wendel Tagle, 16 and Eljay Pamisa, 16, flyweight Jerico Acaylar, 16 and bantamweights Dave Laurejas, 16 and Ronrick Ballesteros, 15.

For youth girls, the candidates are lightflyweight Cleo Tesara, 18 and lightweight Analene Celion, 18. For junior girls, the candidates are lightbantamweight Mary Sinadayan, 15 and flyweight Ailene Caranangan, 16.

Picson said training camps will be set up in Saraburi, Thailand, for men?s Team A on March 6-16, in Uzbekistan in June, in the US for men and women in August, in Thailand for youth and juniors in September and in China for men and women in October. The major competitions are the Asian Championships for men and women in Bangkok on April 17-28, the World Championships for men in Ekaterinburg, Russia, on Sept. 7-21, the Asian Championships for women in Ulan-Ude, Russia, in October, the Asian Junior Championships for male and female in the United Arab Emirates on Oct. 1-8, the Asian Championships for youth male and female in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on Nov. 9-19, the SEA Games at the Makati Coliseum on Nov. 30-Dec. 10 and the Asian U22 Championships for men and women in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in December.

In the proposed timetable are tournaments in Bulgaria, Iran, China, Germany, Spain, Poland, India, Kazakhstan, Panama, Czech Republic, Cuba, Hungary and Kyrgyzstan but participation will depend on funding from the PSC and POC. It?s a full schedule and ABAP is focusing not just on the existing fighters in the pool but also the next generation from whose ranks will come the country?s future medalists.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • United States Earns Four Gold Medals on Final Day of 2026 World Boxing Futures Cup
    , Mon, 16 Mar 2026
  • Mexico wins 2 bronze medals at World Boxing Futures Cup in Bangkok
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Mon, 16 Mar 2026
  • Arnold Barboza Jr. Shines in Welterweight Debut, Defeats Kenneth Sims Jr. to Claim Wbo Global Welterweight Title
    , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • WBC top contender Canoy returns to Davao with Unanimous Decision Victory
    , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • John Randall Peralta: The Future of the Philippine Chess
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • Alvin “Felemon” Dologuin Claims Win in Brico Santig’s Show in Thailand (PHOTOS)
    , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • Donaire's Yokohama Showdown: Can our Filipino Flash Outshine the Rising Sun? (WEIGH-IN PHOTOS)
    By Carlos Costa, , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • USA Boxing Youth High Performance Team Wins Five of Eight Bouts on Day Six
    , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander surpasses Chamberlain's record of 127 consecutive NBA games with 20 points or more
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sun, 15 Mar 2026
  • World-Ranked Light Heavyweight Najee Lopez Stops Mexican Terminator Manuel Gallego in Eight Classic Rounds in Main Event of ProBoxTV’s ‘The Contender Series’
    , Sat, 14 Mar 2026
  • Weigh-in from Highland Boxing in Bangkok, Thailand; Dologuin in Action (WEIGH-IN PHOTOS)
    , Sat, 14 Mar 2026
  • Oval rules 35th CityHeights slugfest
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sat, 14 Mar 2026
  • Sims vs. Barboza and Dickens vs. Cacace Headline Doubleheader on DAZN
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 14 Mar 2026
  • Rubilen Amit sustains amazing run of victories at WPBA Pool in New York
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 14 Mar 2026
  • Weights Set in Anaheim: Barboza Jr. and Sims Jr. Ready for Welterweight War; Collazo Defends Titles
    , Sat, 14 Mar 2026
  • Rising Young Star Yoenis Tellez Takes on Top Contender Brian Mendoza in New Co-Main Event of PBC Pay-per-View Event Available on Prime Video Saturday, March 28
    , Sat, 14 Mar 2026
  • Five USA Boxers Qualify for Medal Rounds on Day Six of 2026 World Boxing Futures Cup
    , Sat, 14 Mar 2026
  • Rubilen Amit off to hot start in her WPBA debut
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 14 Mar 2026
  • Pavel Sosulin stops Victor Nagbe to remain unbeaten at IBA Pro 15 in Saint Petersburg
    , Fri, 13 Mar 2026
  • Nicaraguan Boxing Commission hold Annual Awards to 2025 winners
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Fri, 13 Mar 2026
  • BARBOZA JR. VS. SIMS JR. FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
    , Fri, 13 Mar 2026
  • Skye Nicolson Headlines Huge Matchroom Boxing Homecoming in Melbourne as New Kayo Sports TV Era Begins on April 29
    , Fri, 13 Mar 2026
  • Five Boxers Advance on Day Five of 2026 World Boxing Futures Cup
    , Fri, 13 Mar 2026
  • Canoy to fight Balidio on March 14 in Matanao
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Fri, 13 Mar 2026
  • Weights From ProBoxTV’s ‘Lopez vs. Gallegos’ at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida, Tomorrow Night at 8 pm EDT
    , Fri, 13 Mar 2026




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2026 philboxing.com.