Ricky Vargas ABAP confident boxers will win Olympic medal

MANILA, Philippines — Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) president Ricky Vargas is confident the country can snare a medal in boxing in the Tokyo Olympics slated July 23 to Aug. 8.

“This is the only time in my life I’m making a prediction,” said Vargas during yesterday’s Power and Play program on Cignal TV.

“If we have four (boxers) in Tokyo, believe me we will have a medal in the Olympics,” he added.

The country already has two pugs qualified in Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno to Tokyo and two more – Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam – are expected to earn slots after Olympic organizers called off the World Qualifiers, initially slated in June in Paris, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABAP secretary-general Ed Picson said Petecio and Paalam are currently ranked No. 1 in Asia, which would earn them a slot each out of the 53 world berths to be distributed equally among the four continents.

Vargas also announced Marcial will be joining the team when the Nationals train in Thailand beginning next month after the latter’s second pro fight was called off.

“He’s very eager to join us, he’s just asking for permission from his new management to join us,” said Vargas referring to Marcial, who is being handled by MP Promotions.

“He’s our biggest chance for the gold,” he added.

Apart from Thailand, Vargas said he would send Marcial, Magno, Petecio and Paalam anywhere in the world to train and achieve their goal of snaring an Olympic medal, possibly a gold.