THE Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (ABAP) is boosting the capabilities of four promising boxers as they prepare for the final Olympic qualifying tournament scheduled from May 23 to June 3 in Bangkok, Thailand.
In a bid to secure more slots for the Tokyo Olympics, ABAP has selected a formidable lineup composed of Tokyo Games silver medalist Carlo Paalam, 2016 Rio Olympics participant Rogen Ladon, undefeated professional boxer Criztian Pitt Laurente, and versatile combat athlete Hergie Bacyadan.
Joining the roster are Paris qualifiers Aira Villegas, Nesthy Petecio, and Eumir Marcial.
To hone their skills and refine their strategies, the seven athletes leave on Tuesday as they embark on a training expedition to the United States.
From April 14 to 21, they will undergo intensive training at the US Olympic Training Center in Denver, Colorado, before participating in the 2024 USA Boxing Multi-Nation Camp.
The select team aims to fortify their preparations for the upcoming Olympic qualifications, as well as for the 2024 Paris Games.
Accompanying the boxers are esteemed coaches Don Abnett, Ronald Chavez, Reynaldo Galido, Mitchel Martinez, and Gerson Nietes Jr.
Marcial secured his Olympic ticket following a commendable silver-medal performance at last year’s Asian Games in China. Meanwhile, Aira Villegas and Nesthy Petecio earned their spots during the initial world qualifiers held in Italy last month.
In a bid to further fine-tune their skills and enhance their tactical prowess, a two-week training camp in Bangkok, Thailand, is also on the horizon for early next month, ahead of the final world qualification event from May 23 to June 3.
Boxing has been a consistent source of medals for the Philippines, with athletes like Petecio and Marcial clinching silver and bronze, respectively, at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Filipino boxing contingent is fuelled by a collective ambition to improve their performance from silver and bronze to gold, mirroring the triumph of weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, who secured the country’s first Olympic gold medal in Tokyo.