Filipino pugs bank on experience in hunt for elusive Asian Games gold
MANILA, Philippines — The decorated Philippine boxing team to the coming Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, will carry a “wealth of experience” as it tries to end a gold medal drought in the quadrennial event spanning 16 years.
“We have seven boxers. It’s going to be a really tough task and the boxers know that. But I’m very excited for them,” said Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (ABAP) president Marcus Manalo in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Philippine Sports Commission media room.
Manalo overheard a scribe say, “Magnificent Seven,” and the boxing official replied, “Hopefully.”
In the lineup are four Olympic medalists led by Nesthy Petecio (60kg), Aira Villegas (51kg), Carlo Paalam (55 kg) and Eumir Marcial (80 kg), depending on the result of his pro fight in Los Angeles on September 19, which is just two days away from the start of the boxing competitions in this Asian Games.
The three others who will carry the Philippine colors in the 20th edition of the Asiad are Riza Pasuit (54 kg), Junmilardo Ogayre (60 kg) and Norlan Petecio (70 kg).
Manalo is keeping his fingers crossed that all goes well for Marcial, bronze medalist in the Tokyo Olympics and the lone boxer to win a medal, a silver, in the last Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
“We’re hoping that he will be fit to box and fresh after his pro fight so he can fly straight from Los Angeles to Nagoya,” said Manalo, noting that the other Filipino boxer who could take Marcial’s place in the heavier division, Weljon Mindoro, was barred from competing in Nagoya after suffering a knockout loss to a Mexican opponent in a pro fight in California last week.
“We have our Olympic medalists, but that could work for or against you because if you’re a competitor 'yun ang gusto mo talunin eh. Pero ako, tataya pa din ako sa Olympic boxers,” said Manalo in the forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, PSC, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, and the country’s 24/7 sports app ArenaPlus.
The Filipino boxers underwent a two-week training camp in Thailand and were on their way to Nagoya last night for a shorter camp before the competitions begin on September 21.
“It was a productive camp in Thailand with teams like China, Jordan, Chinese-Taipei and the host country. The Japan camp will be shorter. Some sparring and mostly to acclimatize na lang,” added Manalo.
He is hoping and praying that the gold medal drought for boxing ends in Nagoya with Rey Saludar being the last to deliver in 2010 in Guangzhou in the -52 kg.
Since 2010, Filipino boxers have brought home three silver and five bronze medals from the Asian Games.
“Zero gold na tayo in the past 16 years, so maka-isa lang malaking bagay na to be at the top of the podium,” said Manalo, noting that winning a gold in the Asian Games is as difficult as winning in the Olympics.
“If you look at the gold medalists in the Paris Olympics, 70 percent are from Asia. Yes, 70 percent,” he said, referring to Uzbekistan with five golds, China with three and Chinese-Taipei with one, accounting for nine of the 13 golds at stake.
“Mahirap talaga,” he said. (PSA pool story)
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