ABAP to pick pugs bound for SEAG

After fielding its athletes in a series of international competitions this year, the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) is now all set to deliberate and later on decide on the final composition of the team that will represent the country in the 22nd Southeast Asian Game this December.

Manny Lopez, the ABAP president, will deliberate with the members of the coaching staff led by George Caliwan, Boy Velasco and Pat Gaspi today as they face the difficult task of naming the nine boxers that carry the tri-colors in the biennial meet scheduled Dec. 5 to 14. The boxing competition will be held in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Philippines failed to win a single gold in the 2001 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.

But Lopez, who took over the ABAP leadership from his father, former Manila Mayor Mel Lopez, is confident that it won’t happen again, citing the maturity of our national boxers who will compete in nine divisions — from pinweight to middleweight — in Vietnam.

This early, only lightfly Harry Tañamor is assured of a slot, considering that there’s no boxer in the 48 kg division, within the amateur ranks, who can stand toe to toe with the 26-year-old Busan Asian Games silver medalist.

Others vying for slots are pinweight Juanito Magliquian, flyweights Violito Payla, Warlito Parrenas and Glen Gonzales, bantamweights Arlan Lerio and Joan Tipon, featherweights Anthony Igusquiza and Joegen Ladon, lightwelter Mark Jason Melligen, lightmiddle Chris Camat and middleweights Maraon Goles and Maximo Tabangcora III.

While preparing for the SEA Games, ABAP is also looking forward to the Asian Boxing Champinships (ABC) in Palawan in January. The tournament to be participated in by close to 40 Asian countries will serve as the first of three Asian qualifying tournaments for the 2004 Athens Olympics. The two other qualifiers will be held in China and Pakistan.

The SEA Games and the ABC meet being held only three weeks apart only makes it more difficult for the ABAP leadership to decide on the composition of the national team, like in the case of Lerio, the Sydney Olympian.

"Will we field him in the SEA Games or just line him up for the first Olympic qualifying tournament? We have to make a difficult decision, not only in Lerio’s case but the others, too," said Lopez. "There are other factors we’re considering here." — Abac Cordero