By Waylon Galvez
The 7-man boxing national team that participated in the 2020 Asia and Oceania Boxing Olympic Qualifying Tournament last month in Jordan has recently finished the required 14-day quarantine being implemented in the country’s fight against the deadly Covid-19.
Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) secretary-general Ed Picson said Friday that the seven boxers, including Olympic-bound Euimir Marcial and Irish Magno, have completed the necessary quarantine, which is required for persons with travel history.
“Kung 14-days tapos na for sure yung quarantine period ng mga boxers natin,” said Picson.
“But we’re trying to be careful kaya just like us, they are following the ECQ (Enhanced Community Quarantine) being implemented by the government to be on the safe side.”
Marcial, silver medalist in the previous World Championships, booked a placed in the Tokyo Olympics with a gold medal finish in the Jordan OQT in the middleweight category, while Magno claimed a spot in the women’s flyweight division.
Other boxers in the Philippine Team delegation in Jordan are women’s world champion Nesthy Petecio and Riza Pasuit, as well as men’s pugilists Carlo Paalam, James Palicte and Ian Clark Bautista.
According to Picson that upon their arrival, Marcial did his home quarantine in Imus, Cavite, while Palicte and Paalam wee able to fly back home to their provinces, Bacolod City and Cagayan de Oro City, respectively.
Magno, on the other hand, is staying with Pasuit and Bautista at the team’s temporary quarters at The Cooyeesan Hotel in Baguio City, while Petecio is in her boarding house also in Baguio City.
She was even reportedly helping repack rice subsidies in the country’s summer capital.
“So far ok naman ang mga boxers natin. We stay connected with them, inaalam namin yung condition nila and we keep on reminding them about the guidelines to prevent Covid-19,” said Picson.
