Pinays off for Asian slugfest

It’s all systems go for the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines’ pioneering women’s boxing team that left yesterday for the first Women’s Asian Amateur Boxing Championships in Bangkok, Thailand beginning today.

Although faced with some financial and logistic problems, the seven-woman boxing squad is excited at the prospect of meeting its Asian counterparts who are also participating for the first time in the event.

Other nations competing are Kazakhstan and other former USSR satellites, China, India and host Thailand.

Those who will perform well in Bangkok will be prime candidates for the World Amateur Boxing Championships in Scranton, Pennsylvania in November and most probably in the 2002 Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea as well as the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

The RP women’s team, sponsored by Pacific Concrete and Asphalt Mix, ALI Sportswear and the Philippine Sports Commission, is composed of Alice Kate Aparri (45 kgs), Librada Samson (48 kgs), Annie Albanya (51 kgs), Ana Cruz (54 kgs), Jouveliet Cailem (57 kgs), Rosy Villarito (60 kgs) and Michelle Martinez (63 kgs).