ABAP meets year with RP-wide search

MANILA, Philippines - The Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines is off to a big start with its holding this month of the National Championships, the culmination of year-long regional competitions, at Puerto Princesa, Palawan. 

ABAP hopes to identify some talents, tap, develop and train them to become future members of the RP team seeing action in various international meets like the Southeast Asian Games, the Asian Games and then the Olympics, said ABAP secretay general Patrick Gregorio.

“It’s the culmination of ABAP’s efforts to produce talents that we hope to train to become champions someday, if not now,” said Gregorio, also the Smart Sports chief.

Gregorio also said Pangilinan and Vargas would make an official report on ABAP’s accomplishments last year in Puerto Princesa.

These include stints in the Kings Cup in Bangkok, Thailand, World Championship in Milan, Italy, Asian Indoor Games in Hanoi, Vietnam and the Laos SEA Games.

Annie Albania delivered the lone gold in Hanoi and then captured another one in Vientiane to spark a three-gold haul in women’s boxing, one more than what the male boxers managed.

Gregorio also cited the professionalization of the ABAP, the construction of several regional training centers aside from the ones in Manila, Pasig City and Baguio and the training and certification of about 240 new referees and judges.

The ABAP also started cultivating good relations with the internationla boxing federation (AIBA) with its visit to AIBA last April 8.

The association is also setting up the training centers not just in Metro Manila, Luzon or the Visayas region but in other far-flung areas as well.

It included the venue being constructed in Cagayan de Oro City through Misamis Oriental Gov. Oscar Moreno.

ABAP has also initiated talks with the collegiate leagues like the prestigious UAAP and NCAA to include boxing in their calendars.