9-man RP boxers magsasanay sa Cuba para sa AIBA World Championships

MANILA, Philippines - Pangungunahan ni Olympic Games campaigner Harry Tanamor ang isang nine-man national boxing team na magtutungo sa Cuba sa Agosto para sa isang 21-day marathon training bilang paghahanda sa AIBA World Championships sa Milan, Italy sa Setyembre.

Nakatakda ang World Championships sa Setyembre 1-12 kung saan halos 100 bansa ang maglalaban-laban para sa 11 weight categories.

Maliban sa AIBA World Championships, bahagi rin ng preparasyon ng national squad ang 25th Southeast Asian Games sa Laos, ayon kay Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) executive director Ed Piczon.

“This should give us a clear picture of what the RP boxing team to the World Championship and the Southeast Asian Games would look like in terms of composition,” wika ni Picson.

Makakasama ni Tanamor (48-kilograms) sa Cuba sina Rey Saludar (51kgs.), Joan Tipon (54kgs.), Aston Francis Palicte (54kgs.), Charly Suarez (57kgs.), Jheritz Chaves (57kgs.), Joegin Ladon (60kgs.), Jameboy Vicera (60kgs.) at Genebert Basadre (64kgs.).

Tinalo ni Tanamor si Cuban Yampier Hernandez sa light flyweight finals ng Boxing World Cup sa Moscow noong Disyembre.

Muling gagabayan ang naturang koponan nina Cuban coaches Enrique Steyners Tissert at Dagoberto Rojas Scot katuwang si national mentor Patricio Gaspi.

“We want to take advantage of what our Cuban coaches tell us: daily opportunities to test our boxers’ mettle against top-rate Cuban boxers,” dagdag ni Piczon.

Isang evaluation ang isasagawa ng ABAP sa pagbabalik ng tropa mula sa Cuba, ayon kay Picson.

“We will hear the assessment of the coaches, have the nine boxers spar with those who stayed behind, and proceed from there,” ani Picson, nagsabi ring posibleng magdagdag pa ng apat hanggang limang boxers para sa AIBA World Championships. (Russell Cadayona)