BACOLOD City ? The Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines yesterday stressed the need to improve its relationship with the AIBA and at the same time have more judges and referees in the Asian governing body in the sport to boost its stock on the international boxing stage.
?We need to improve our relationship with the AIBA, that is one of our more urgent goals,? said ABAP president Ricky Vargas during the opener of the 2009 Smart National Amateur Boxing Championship here.
Vargas said there is a need to renew ties with AIBA following the latter?s suspension of former ABAP chief Manny Lopez.
He also reiterated the need to put more aggressive referees in the ABAP program and host several international tournaments.
?The hard part in boxing is that when you compete abroad and you only have one accredited jury or referee and the other countries have 10 or 12 ? you already lost half the battle so we need more jurors,? said Vargas.
