National team pugs raring to take Albania's place

MANILA, Philippines - The Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines expects the current members of the national women’s team to step up and fill in the void left by the veteran internationalist Annie Albania as the ABAP seeks to qualify a female boxer to the London Olympics.

Coach Roel Velasco named lightflyweight Alice Kate Aparri, bantamweight Ana Liza Cruz, and featherweight Nesthy Petecio as the strongest candidates to take the place of Albania.

Flyweight ace Albania has been dropped from the Phl team roster for her failure to return to training camp after the holiday break, although she had earlier expressed her intention to hang up her gloves.

Meanwhile, ABAP president Ricky Vargas yesterday reiterated that the association acted with fairness in handing out its decision to expel Albania from the national team.

“I am saddened by Ms. Albania’s statements branding ABAP as unfair for dropping her from the national boxing line-up. She violated basic rules of our association, which are inherent in any organization,” Vargas said in a statement.

“In her interviews she acknowledged her wrongdoing saying ‘may pagkakamali po ako’. Where is the unfairness?” the ABAP chief added.

Albania the other day broke her silence since the ABAP axed her for failing to return to camp. She admitted to having failed to notify ABAP officials and coaches of her plan to take a respite after the Asian Games but found it unfair to be branded as an athlete lacking in discipline.

Her primary reasons for considering retirement was to rest and allow her injured back and eye problem to totally heal.

Vargas said ABAP has not been remiss in looking after her health.

“As to her back and eye problems, we brought her to the Makati Medical Center for an MRI, had her checked by the prominent Sports Medicine specialist Dr. Tyrone Reyes several times and there were no findings of a debilitating injury.

“Even so, she was given therapy and medication and she told ABAP executive director Ed Picson when she called Wednesday night that she was fine,” Vargas said.

Velasco said Aparri, bronze medalist in the Women’s World Boxing Championship, could move up the scales while Cruz and Petecio could slide down a notch or two to adjust to the 51-kg spot, one of only three weight divisions for women’s boxing in the 2012 Olympiad.

“Handa naman sila. Sa palagay ko, challenged sila ngayon, lalong aangat dahil pagkakataon na nila ito. Dati kasi, parang hindi sila ganun kapursigido dahil alam nila andun na si Annie (I think they’re ready to take over and all the more challenged to prove their worth. Unlike before when they felt that Annie already got the slot locked in),” Velasco told The STAR yesterday.

Women’s boxing will be making its debut in London next year but the weight class has been limited to 51 kgs, 60 kgs and 75 kgs and ABAP said it could only send a contender in the lightest division.

Albania said she wanted a breather from boxing to heal her injured lower back and strained eye and at the same time start a business. But she failed to inform ABAP officials of her plans, prompting the boxing body to drop her from the roster.

The Asian Games silver medalist, however, couldn’t categorically declare at this point whether she’s out of boxing for good or just temporarily.

Velasco is not closing the door on his ward for nine years, either.

“May chance pa rin naman na makabalik siya, basta ipakita niya na deserving siya at andun yung dedication (She can still make it back to the team as long as she proves she’s deserving of a slot and shows her dedication to the team),” Velasco said.