224 pugs open bid in National Open

PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines – A total of 224 young boxers and 72 coaches and officials made landfall in this striking paradise city yesterday to compete in the Smart-Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) National Amateur Boxing Championship starting today at the Puerto Princesa gymnasium.

Billed as the “Battle of the Bests,” the five-day tournament features the talent of the survivors in the four regional championships, which ABAP hosted in Tayabas, Quezon, Ormoc City, Panabo City and Mandaluyong City last year.

Those who did not win but showed a lot of promise were also invited since the competition also serves as the tryout for the RP youth squad in the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympics in August and, possibly, in the 2012 London Olympics. The qualifying tournament for the Singapore Youth Olympics is set in Baku, Azerbaijan in April.

The competitors will be divided into four age groups with eight to nine weight classes each for boys and girls.

Although the school-based (11-12 years old) and kids (12-13 years old) divisions are expected to generate attention, ABAP executive director Ed Picson said the junior (14-16 years old) and youth (17-18 years old) divisions are expected to be crucial since majority of the discoveries will come from those age brackets.

Picson said national coaches Patricio Gaspi, Nolito Velasco, Romeo Brin and Glincero “Boy” Catolico, as well as ABAP president Ricky Vargas and secretary-general Patrick Gregorio, will assess the potential of the young boxers.

“This tournament will be the battle of the bests,” Picson said. “We don’t want to miss the opportunity of discovering another Onyok Velasco or Harry Tañamor. Our (Singapore Youth) Olympic campaign depends on the outcome of this tournament.”

“Our program is inclusive and not exclusive. We don’t want to commit a mistake of ignoring a young talent who could give us an Olympic gold medal few years from now,” said Vargas in a previous statement.

Picson added that Charly Suarez is a discovery of ABAP’s talent identification program before becoming one of the five pugs who won the gold medal in the 25th Southeast Asian Games.

“He worked his way up,” he said.

“He was part of the youth team for two to three years before winning the gold in Laos.”

Expected to dominate the talent-laden field are bets from powerhouse province like Davao, Cebu, Negros Occidental, Quezon and Palawan which produced prolific boxers like Brin and Josie Gabuco.