MEMBERS of the national team were supposed to go to Cuba to train and prepare for Olympic qualifiers for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
But they are staying for the meantime, training instead with Australian boxers, some of whom have already made the cut to the Olympics.
The Aussies have joined Filipino boxers in their ongoing training sessions at the Philippine Sports Commission Teacher’s Camp Gym in Baguio City, according the Association of Boxing of Alliances of the Philippines executive director Ed Picson.
The Filipinos’ training sessions with the Australian national boxing team are now going on for the last two weeks, revealed Picson, who added in a radio interview that the 11-man Australian team is made up nine male and three female boxers.
Picson said the Australians, coached by Kevin Smith, are also preparing for the Olympic qualifiers, which is the Asia-Oceania Olympic Qualifiers from March 23 to April 3 in Qia’nan, China.
The Australian team includes Commonwealth Games medalists, led by Shelley Watts (60kgs) and Joe Goddal (91 kgs).
Boxing officials said that their presence is mutually beneficial to both sides, because Filipino boxers will also have a chance to improve their skills.
The Philippine nationals squad, looking to qualify at least one boxer to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, is set to go to the United States for a three-week intensive training set in the third week of this January.
Roger Ladon, a fighter in the 46-49 kg weight class in the men’s division, is among those who are expected to have a big chance.
Ladon is fourth in the Olympic rankings with 1050 points in his weight category, according to a list released by the International Boxing Association on its official website.
He will be joined by Mark Anthony Barriga, who has 350 points, and is ranked no. 24 behind Ladon.