MANILA, Philippines - With AIBA (International Amateur Boxing Association) pushing for the inclusion of women’s boxing in the next Olympic Games, the Filipino lady fighters may get a shot at the P12 million incentive put up by Smart and PLDT for a gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics.
“Yes, it’s for everyone,” ABAP (Amateur Boxing Association of the Phils.) secretary-general Patrick Gregorio yesterday told The STAR. “We have high hopes our women boxers can also deliver.”
This developed after the AIBA, the world governing body for amateur boxing, unanimously voted to push for the inclusion of women’s boxing in the Olympics, starting with the 2012 London Games.
“It’s a fantastic development for two reasons. One, we have a good chance because we already have talents and, two it is good that Filipino women boxers will also have a crack at the P12 million pledged by MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan),” said Gregorio.
Pangilinan, the ABAP chair, announced the incentive scheme in last month’s ABAP boxing congress in Bacolod City to likewise discourage young talented fighters from turning professionals.
One of the talents ABAP is eyeing is former world title holder Dodie Boy Peñalosa’s son 18-year-old Dodie Boy Jr, a former two-time national champion in the amateur ranks.
AIBA president Ching-Kuo Wu said the AIBA executive committee unanimously voted to introduce women’s boxing into the quadrennial multi-sports meet.
According to reports, the official application will be submitted to the International Olympic Committee at the end of the month. The IOC is expected to vote on the proposal in its session in Copenhagen in October.
Boxing is the only one of the 26 Olympic summer sports events without female competitors.
The country has a bumper crop of women fighters who have vast international experience, including Annie Albania, who delivered the lone boxing gold in the 2007 Thailand Southeast Asian Games.
A silver and a bronze medal are worth P3 million and P1 million, respectively. The amount is apart from the incentive the goverment offers under Republic Act 6084, or the Athletes Incentives Act.
Smart also pledged P2 million, P1 million and P500,000 for the gold, silver and bronze medal efforts in Asian Games, respectively, P1 million, P500,000 and P250,000 in World Championships, P300,000, P200,000 and P100,000 in the Southeast Asian Games starting in Vientiane, Laos late this year, and P30,000, P20,000 and P10,000 in other minor international tournaments.