MANILA, Jan. 5 (PNA) — The new officials of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) has promised to kick off the 2009 season with a bang by conducting championships and participating in international tournaments to hone up the skills and natural talent of Filipino boxers.
They have started refurbishing the boxing office and training site at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum through the help of private donors like Welcoat and Smart Communications.
The Philippine Sports Commission-managed venue in Baguio City is also getting its own share of attention to make the men and women boxers comfortable as they go for their day-to-day activities.
The possibility of establishing regional training camps, especially in the Visayas and Mindanao where talents abound, is going to be a reality this year as everyone will be involved in the medal sport where the Philippines is hoping to source its cherished goal of winning its first-ever gold medal in the Olympics.
Competitions for youths 16-under and the women’s team will be held regularly the whole-year-round to maintain continuity for the boxers and everyone involved in boxing.
In matters of coaching, ABAP is willing to hire foreign mentors, not necessarily from Cuba but the better choices from Europe and China to augment the locals.
The fact is two of the current Cuban coaches will now be required to visit regional venues to give pointers for improvement and help choose potential recruits where the cream of the crop is expected to be sifted from.
In an early Monday morning airwave interview, new ABAP secretary-general Patrick “Pato” Gregorio announced that at 10 a.m. on January 17 in Bacolod City, a parade featuring the world’s best pound-for-pound boxer Manny Pacquiao, together with other famous pugs will be held to boost the national recruitment campaign.
A national amateur boxing championship will start off after the parade to find simonpures to be trained for possible slots in the RP Team going to the RP-Guam meet, the 2009 Laos Southeast Asian Games, Asian Youth Championships, the Asian Games and eventually the 2012 London Olympics, etc.
The meet duration starts on Jan. 17 and culminate on January 24 with cooperation from both the public and private sectors.
Gregorio said there several tournament invitations abroad where “we can send the new finds but we must choose judiciously to give our youngsters the best exposure and experience for future competitions.”
Everyone who is a boxing stakeholder is invited to a banquet on January 18 where the new ABAP officers headed by by business tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan, Ricky Vargas and Manny Lopez will be around.
“Anybody who wants to join and help amateur boxing rise to its level of greatness should be there. Whatever problem or obstacle there is, we hope to solve it with everyone putting in their suggestion and proposed solution to be distilled further to the satisfaction of all,” said Gregorio. (PNA) FFC/LOR
