Mark Anthony Barriga, 19, the Philippines? lone boxing bet in the 2012 London Olympics said he is now in 100 percent fighting form and is ready to plunge into action.
?The weather is absolutely cold but I have adjusted already and I feel a lot of improvement. My coach is doing everything here and the state-of-the-art facilities are all okay,? Barriga told The Manila Times in a telephone interview.
Ed Picson, executive director of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) confirmed in a separate interview that all is well in Barriga?s training.
?We are approaching near 100 percent. He feels okay too, no sign of any injury or fatigue. Mark is becoming tougher, faster and powerful than ever according to Coach Roel Velasco. He is not the ordinary boy he used to be but we are not taking things easy,? said Picson.
Barriga said the thought of fighting bigger opponents gives him more motivation to train harder, ?I am now 100 percent stronger and faster but I should maintain it or improve even more when the fight day comes,? said the light flyweight from Panabo, Davao. ?I guess I?m the smallest guy here in the Olympics so I would just have to train harder.?
The Philippines is yet to win a gold medal in the Olympics and it is pinning its hope on its boxers to accomplish the task. Of the nine medals the Philippines won in the Olympics, five are from boxing; Jose Villanueva won bronze in the 1932 Los Angeles Games, Anthony Villanueva won silver in 1964 in Tokyo, Leopoldo Serrantes won bronze in 1988 in Seoul, Roel Velasco won bronze in 1992 in Barcelona and Mansueto Velasco won silver in 1996 in Atlanta.
