Koreans, Uzbeks, Kazakhs Pinoys’ toughest foes

Notwithstanding the controversy that marred their buildup for the first Asian Qualifying, a crack five-man national boxing team leaves for Thailand today, raring to slug it out with the best in the region for spots in this year’s Olympic Games.

Amateur Boxing Association of the Phils. (ABAP) chief Manny Lopez said Asian Games gold medalists Violito Payla and Joan Tipon, lightweight Genebert Basadre, featherweight Orlando Tacuyan and Fil-Am lightwelterweight Adam Bigornia Fiel are in high spirits and confident of their chances in their respective divisions in the tough 28-nation field that includes regional powers North and South Korea, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, China and host Thailand.

“Our fighters underwent rigid training the last few months. They are mentally fit and are raring to go,” said Lopez, adding that the dispute over the country’s participation in the event had failed to hold back the team’s preparation for the tournament, the first of two Asian elims for the Beijing Games.

Thailand earlier announced the disqualification of the RP boxers for ABAP’s failure to submit its entry on time. But International Boxing Association (AIBA) stepped in and extended the deadline to accommodate not only the RP boxers but those from the other countries as well.

Lopez said Payla and company would need at least three wins to get into the medal round of the event where the gold and silver medalists have been assured of slots in the Olympic Games in Beijing in August.

“It will be a tough task but the boys have vowed to give their best shot,” said Lopez, pointing to the boxers from Korea, China, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan as the RP bets’ biggest rivals for Olympic slots.

In case they progressed, Tipon and Fiel are lined up to face Thai counterparts in their respective divisions while Payla, Basadre and Tacuyan are likely to run into the likes of the Koreans, Uzbeks, Kazakhs and Chinese.