4 amateurs boxers, pagpipilian para sa Olympic Qualifying

Daraan sa masusing pagpili ang apat na miyembro ng National Boxing Team kung sino ang kakatawan para sa bansa sa Olympic Qualifying tournament simula Pebrero 3-14 sa Wuhan, China.

Pinag-aaralan pa ng mabuti ng pamunuan ng Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) at national coaches’ kina 30th Southeast Asian Games light-flyweight gold medalist Carlo Paalam at 2016 Rio Olympics participant Roden Ladon ang maglalaro sa men’s under-52kgs flyweight category, habang nasa ganitong proseso rin sina 30th edisyon light-welterweight champion James Palicte at 2019 Belt and Road-ASEAN Boxing championship winner Jere Samuel Dela Cruz ang ipadadala sa men’s under-63kgs division.

“Wala ng try-out na nangyayari doon. It is under evaluation na lang, but essentially iyong nakita natin sa Southeast Asian Games, not necessarily the gold medalists, those who participated in SEA Games are essentially those that we are looking na ipapasok natin sa Olympic Qualifying tournament,” pahayag ni ABAP Secretary-General Ed Picson. “Meron kasing mga weight divisions, like the light flyweight, has been scrapped in the Olympic programme.

Ngayon si Carlo ay umakyat sa 52-kgs, naroon naman si Rogen na dating Olympian, so that is our problem yet. Both of them are in Thailand now with the rest of the male boxing team na nagte-training sa Thailand,” dagdag ni Picson.

Ayon pa kay Picson, may mga pagbabago di umano sa mga weight divisions sa quadrennial meet, kung saan nawala rin ang men’s under-60kgs o lightweight division na pinanghahawakan ni 2019 SEAG gold winner Charly Suarez, habang umangat ang men’s 56-kgs sa 57-kgs para sa bantamweight class na sinundan agad ng under-63kgs, 69-kgs na lalaruan ni biennial meet silver medalist Marjon Pianar at 75-kgs na pupuntiryahin ni 2019 World Boxing silver medal winner Eumir Felix Marcial at mga nalalabing timbang na 81-kgs, 90-kgs at 91-kgs.

“Regarding Jere Samuel, he played numerous times in international and he’s doing well, and the coaches think that he should give an opportunity or chance to vie for a slot against James. Of course, medyo nakalalamang si James, dahil matagal na rin siya sa National Team, but he’s still to prove himself against this new boxer that we have,” wika ni Picson.

Sinabi nina Ladon at Dela Cruz, sa panayam ng BULGAR sa telepono, na nakahanda sila kung ano man ang magiging desisyon ng ABAP at national coaches sa lalaro para sa Asian-Oceania Olympic Qualifying tournament sa susunod na buwan.