By WAYLON GALVEZ
Upon the recommendations of the national boxing team coaching staff, the Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (ABAP) has decided not to send the majority of its delegation that is currently in a training camp in Thailand in the ASBC Elite Men and Women Boxing Championships in Dubai.
ABAP secretary-general Ed Picson said Tuesday that the necessary COVID-19 quarantine period was the deciding factor not to send the boxers in Dubai including three Tokyo Olympics-bound athletes in Carlo Paalam, Irish Magno and Nesthy Petecio.
“There is a problem with quarantine,” said Picson during the online PSA Forum, adding that after the ASBC, the boxers returning to training camp in Dubai need to spend 14 days in quarantine as part of the health protocols.
“You’ll lose whatever momentum you gained from the bubble (in Laguna) and the training camp, and that sets us back. The decision coaches, their recommendation to us is tuloy na lang (to continue) training in Thailand,” added Picson, who was with national team coaches Ronald Chavez and Australian consultant Donald Abnett at the forum.
From that Thailand contingent, only Junmilardo Ogayre will join the national team in the ASBC set May 21 to June 1, since he will be joining the Philippine Team on its way back home.
Nevertheless, Picson said the national team for the ASBC remains strong led by Eumir Marcial, another boxer in the 75kilogram bound for the Tokyo Olympics on July 23 to August 8.
“We have put together a team, some will come from Manila, some from Baguio, Eumir is training right now in Zamboanga City. They (the boxers for the ASBC) are also candidates for the Southeast Asian Games (in Vietnam), this is a good preparation for them.”
Aside from Marcial and Ogayre (56kg), the other boxers for the ASBC are Josie Gabuco (48kg) and Maricel Dela Torre (60kg) in the women’s division, Mark Lester Durens (49kg), Marvin Tabamo (52kg), Jere Samuel Dela Cruz (60kg) and John Paul Panuayan (60kg).
