ABAP lists candidates for SEA Games

MANILA, Philippines - Each country is limited to 10 entries in boxing where 14 gold medals will be at stake at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Indonesia on Nov. 11-25, making it difficult for the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) to choose from a candidates list of 21 men and eight women.

ABAP executive director Ed Picson said yesterday the only shoo-ins for the national squad are two women – pinweight (46 kilogram limit) Josie Gabuco and lightflyweight (48 kilograms) Alice Kate Aparri, the only nominees in their categories. Both Gabuco, 24, and Aparri, 26, struck gold at the Laos SEA Games in 2009.

For men, there are four candidates in the lightflyweight (49 kilograms), flyweight (52 kilograms), lightweight (60 kilograms) and lightwelterweight (64 kilograms) classes each, three in the bantamweight (56 kilograms) division and two in the welterweight (69 kilograms) category. For women, there are two candidates in the flyweight (51 kilograms) and lightweight (60 kilograms) classes and a candidate each for bantamweight (64 kilograms), featherweight (57 kilograms), pinweight and lightflyweight.

In the coming SEA Games, up for grabs are medals in eight men’s and six women’s categories. The eight men’s classes are lightflyweight, flyweight, bantamweight, lightweight, lightwelterweight, welterweight, middleweight (75 kilograms) and lightheavyweight (81 kilograms). The six women’s classes are pinweight, lightflyweight, flyweight (51 kilograms), bantamweight (54 kilograms), featherweight (57 kilograms) and lightweight (60 kilograms).

The men’s candidates are Victor Saludar, Mark Anthony Barriga, Ian Clark Bautista and Crisanto Godaren for lightflyweight, Rey Saludar, Gerson Nietes, Bonifacio Fernando and Engelbert Moralde for flyweight, Ricky Dulay, Joan Tipon and Mario Fernandez for bantamweight, Charly Suarez, Joegin Ladon, Junel Cantancio and Orlando Tacuyan for lightweight, Delfin Boholst, Dennis Galvan, Rolando Tacuyan and Nathaniel Montealto for lightwelterweight and Wilfredo Lopez and Mico Brina for welterweight.

The women’s candidates are Gabuco for pinweight, Aparri for lightflyweight, Analisa Cruz and Irish Magno for flyweight, Nesthy Petecio for bantamweight, Wennie Cline Verrano for featherweight and Rica Aquino and Micha Joy Hugo for lightweight.

Picson said among the darkhorse contenders are newcomers Brina and Aquino. Brina, 19, is from San Francisco and flew in to try his luck with the national pool last January. Aquino, 24, is a 5-7 karate and taekwondo specialist who turned to boxing only last February. Tipon, who turns 29 on April 9, is making a comeback after failing to bag a medal at the 2009 SEA Games. He won the gold medal as a bantamweight at the 2005 SEA and 2006 Asian Games.

Picson said the contenders are now training at the Rizal Memorial gym but will soon set up camp in Baguio. They will be joined next week by 14 recruits from the recent national championships.

Picson said the ABAP tried to lobby for an increase in the limit of 10 fighters for every country in the SEA Games. “They set a limit because the organizers don’t want just a dual meet between Thailand and the Philippines but I don’t think you can discount countries like Indonesia and Malaysia,” he said. “We were hoping to be able to send 12 or 13 fighters. But with the limit of 10, we must carefully study where we have the best chances of winning a gold.”

Picson said the ABAP is submitting a roster of up to 48 fighters, including 12 women, to be accredited with the national pool by the Philippine Sports Commission. “We’re rebuilding our pool,” he went on. “Some of our fighters from the military are just restarting their training like Boholst, Rey Saludar and Lopez from the Army and Tacuyan and Cantancio from the Air Force. One of our fighters, Ladon, underwent surgery for an ACL injury last month and is still recovering.”

The elimination of the featherweight division in the SEA Games and Olympics has forced Suarez to move up to lightweight. Suarez, 22, won the gold as a featherweight at the 2009 SEA Games and is one of the country’s best bets to clinch a ticket to the London Olympics.