The country?s gold medal hopes in boxing, a sport that is arguably the most prolific for the Philippines in Asian Games competition, will fall on the shoulders of lightweight Charly Suarez and light-fly Mark Anthony Barriga.
The Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (ABAP) yesterday revealed that Suarez and Barriga are the best prospects for gold medals alongside lady punchers lightweight Nesthy Petecio and flyweight Josie Gabuco.
Also named to the Philippine squad to the Sept. 19 to Oct. 4 Incheon sportsfest are flyweight Ian Clark Bautista and bantam Mario Fernandez.
Rey Saludar, flyweight gold medalist during the 2010 Guangzhou Games, won?t be around to defend his title owing to a shoulder injury he sustained during a tournament overseas.
The ABAP will actually send a total of eight fighters to Incheon and the two remaining slots are still in the process of completion, according to Abap executive director Ed Picson, who presided over two box-offs last week.
While the ABAP is pinning its hopes on all eight bets, the ones who are actually expected to give the opposition headaches are 21-year-old Barriga, who competed during the 2012 London Olympics, and the 25-year-old Suarez, a veteran of the tough World Series of Boxing.
Barriga is a two-time winner in the Sydney Jackson slugfest in Uzbekistan and 2013 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, while Suarez is likewise a two-time SEAG champion and a veteran of countless foreign meets.
