LONDON ? Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) president Ricky Vargas yesterday called on the Philippine Sports Commission to not only provide for elite athletes but also promising standouts with the potential to become medalists in the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games, World Championships and the Olympics.
?We realize there are financial constraints and that?s why the PSC is limiting itself to supporting athletes who have already taken medals in at least the Southeast Asian Games,? said Vargas. ?But we can?t ignore the stars of the future. We need to support grassroots development, too. At ABAP, there are 30 to 40 boxers in our training pool, including about 10 women and six from our grassroots program. We receive support from the PSC in terms of allowances for our elite boxers but none for our young up-and-coming stars like world junior champion Eumir Marcial.?
Vargas and ABAP secretary-general Patrick Gregorio arrived here from Manila last Saturday to witness lightflyweight boxer Mark Anthony Barriga?s second fight against Kazakhstan?s Birzhan Zhakypov. Barriga lost a controversial 17-16 decision that was protested by ABAP because of Canadian referee Roland Labbe?s lapses. The AIBA (Association Internationale de Boxe) jury junked the protest. Vargas and Gregorio stayed here three nights and flew back home yesterday afternoon.
?Right now, we?re back to zero, meaning no boxer is automatically seeded to represent our country in international competitions,? said Vargas. ?We?re giving everyone a fighting chance to qualify for every competition up to the World Championships and Olympics. In London, we took a stand in protesting Mark?s loss. Unfortunately, AIBA looked the other way. But we won?t lose our focus. We?ll persevere in our quest for that elusive Olympic gold medal.?
Vargas spoke to Barriga after the defeat and said the 19-year-old Panabo, Davao del Norte, fighter is determined to bounce back. ?We talked about the next Southeast Asian Games where he hopes to qualify,? said Vargas. ?He knows he?s still young while fighters like Zou Shiming and Zhakypov are much older. Time is on his side. Mark wants to fight in the next Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.? The age limit in Olympic boxing is 34 so Zou, 31, will no longer be eligible for Rio. Zhakypov is 28 and can fight in only one more Olympics while Barriga can participate in three more.
Vargas said he?s on the look-out for a foreign coach to assist in the national boxing program. A leading candidate is Kevin Smith, an Irishman who was the Nigerian boxing coach here and worked Barriga?s corner with Filipino head coach Roel Velasco. Smith trained Olympic lightweight Josh Taylor of the UK for three years and is the boxing coach at Bradford College in West Yorkshire. He was formerly the Scotland national boxing coach. Smith has 18 years of experience with the UK Golden Gloves program and has degrees in engineering and sports education.
?We?ve asked (ABAP executive director) Ed (Picson) to nominate candidates,? said Vargas. ?Kevin is a top candidate because he?s able to communicate, he has a good attitude and is familiar with the grassroots development program of the UK. We?re not looking to sign up a coach on a long-term basis. We looking for a trainer?s coach, someone who can conduct clinics for our coaches in the regional centers, someone who can work with our national coaches. We?re not sure if we want a foreign coach on a 365 day a year basis. We?ll come up with a program then factor in a foreign coach?s involvement.?
Gregorio said the Olympic experience opened ABAP?s eyes to three issues. First, it?s not only quality that?s important in qualifying for the Olympics but also quantity. Second, it?s crucial for ABAP to relate closely with AIBA and strengthen international ties. And third, there must be a focused talent identification approach to develop a foundation for a national pool in the future.
?In our first Olympic experience, we found out how difficult it is to qualify for the Olympics and how even more difficult it is to win a medal,? said Gregorio. ?If we qualify more fighters, we have more chances to win a medal. So quantity is vital. In London, we qualified only one fighter. And in Beijing four years ago, we also qualified just one. In weighing probabilities to win a medal, we need more fighters to qualify. I still believe that boxing is the sport where we can win an Olympic gold medal. We found out how important it is to relate closely with AIBA officials and finally, our talent identification must consider where we can develop potential medalists in both men?s and women?s boxing.?
Gregorio said it was a disappointment that ABAP failed to qualify a single fighter in women?s boxing. ?With three weight divisions in Olympic boxing for women, we should now look at developing fighters in the flyweight and lightweight classes,? said Gregorio. ?I think it?s 50-50 where our first Olympic gold medal will come from ? men?s or women?s boxing.?
