The Philippines won’t be sending boxers to Vargas, Venezuela, site of the last qualifying event for the Rio Olympics.
The Venezuela slugfest is scheduled July 3 to 8 and Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) executive director Ed Picson told the Bulletin that unless Manny Pacquiao and other bigwigs change their minds, there would be no Filipinos taking part there.
The AIBA has ruled that professional fighters can not compete in the Olympics, starting with Rio this August but they have until June 23 to register.
“We won’t be sending fighters because Charly Suarez has already qualified and Mark Anthony Barriga is no longer with us,” said Picson.
Suarez made the Olympic grade during the Asia/Oceania qualifying last April in China in the company of light-fly Rogen Ladon, who are two of the seven Filipino bets who have formally been accepted by Rio organizers.
