US training awaits MVP Cup victors

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino gold medalists in the Manny V. Pangilinan International Friendship Cup scheduled July 14-19 at the PICC Forum in Pasay City will have a rare chance to train in the United States.

Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines executive director Ed Picson said yesterday that Pinoy winners in this seven-nation slugfest will be sent to train in Los Angeles and San Francisco in August.

The Filipino boxers will also use the tournament as a buildup to the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou in November.

Fielding entries in the MVP Cup, which also offers $1,000 to all gold medalists, are Thailand, Macau, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, China and Sri Lanka.

While in LA, the Filipino boxers, both men and women, will get the chance to visit the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, the famous sweatshop owned by Manny Pacquiao’s chief trainer, Freddie Roach.

While the gym caters mostly to professional fighters, Roach is not closing the doors on amateurs who want to hone their skills the way Pacquiao does it for all his previous fights in the United States.

“There’s a lot to be learned there. We want our boxers to get a feel of training under the best trainer in the world today,” said Picson.

A Filipino amateur boxer based in the US, Julian Santos Chua, has been working out with Roach lately as he pursues his dream of representing the Philippines and winning a medal in the 2010 London Olympics.

Chua, a protege of Filipino boxing figure Hermie Rivera, now based in San Francisco, is a gold medalist in the 2009 Indiana Golden Gloves.

Representing the Philippines, which will field Team A and B, in the MVP, Cup are 14 fighters led by Laos SEA Games gold medalist Charlie Suarez, bronze winner Rey Saludar and his brother Victor Saludar in the men’s side, and Asian Indoor Games champion Annie Albania in the distaff side.

Other RP hopefuls are Bill Vicera, Gerson Nietes, Glicerio Catolico, Recky Dulay, Jherjigs Chavez, Joegin Ladon, Jameboy Vicera, Jimmy Vallares, Rolando Tacuyan, Delfin Boholst and Wilfredo Lopez; Josie Gabuco, Alice Kate Aparri, Nesthy Petecio and Noeme Tacda.