ABAP seeks more slots for Olympics

MANILA, Philippines - With only lightflyweight Mark Anthony Barriga assured of a ticket to this year’s London Olympics, the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) hopes to add more entries via the Asian qualifiers in Astana, Kazakhstan, on March 30-April 8 for men and the AIBA Women World Boxing Championships in Chongqing, China, on May 21-June 10.

ABAP executive director Ed Picson said yesterday he is looking into the possibility of applying for a wildcard ticket through the Tripartite Invitation Commission made up of representatives of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), AIBA and the sponsoring National Olympic Committee. There are eight wildcard slots for men and 11 for women in boxing. However, in the men’s division, the only wildcard tickets available for Asia are one in the lightweight (60 kilogram) category and another in the welterweight (69 kilogram) class. Picson said if the Philippines is allowed to apply for a wildcard ticket, the ABAP will nominate lightweight Charly Suarez.

It’s not certain if the Philippines may apply for a wildcard in London because of a new rule that stipulates eligibility only for countries with an average of six athletes or less in the last two Olympics. The Philippines sent 16 athletes, including four boxers, to the 2004 Olympics and 15, including one boxer, to the 2008 edition. Picson said he is not familiar with the restriction and will submit an inquiry to the AIBA.

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) chairman Monico Puentevella said from his understanding, the wildcards are given out at the discretion of the International Federations. “It depends on the IFs not just on the Commission,” he said. “With the money poured into boxing, we should qualify by merit not by wildcard. An assessment should be in order.” POC spokesman Joey Romasanta said he will check into the matter immediately as the deadline for wildcard applications to the Commission is on Jan. 16.

Picson said the ABAP has strong available contenders for Olympic berths. In the men’s division, expected to compete in the Asian qualifiers are flyweight Rey Saludar, bantamweight Junel Cantancio or Joan Tipon, Suarez, lightwelterweight Dennis Galvan or Rolando Tacuyan and welterweight Delfin Boholst. There are four slots left for Asia in the flyweight class, three in bantamweight, one in lightweight, four in lightwelterweight and three in welterweight. The competition will be stiffest in the lightweight category where one ticket is up for grabs, meaning only the champion in Astana will advance to London. Suarez’ application for a wildcard, if allowed, will give the ABAP another way in.

In the women’s division, Picson said it’s a mad scramble as London will introduce female boxing in only three divisions – flyweight (51 kilograms), lightweight (60 kilograms) and middleweight (75 kilograms). The top eight finishers in each weight class in the Chongqing qualifiers will book tickets to London.

Three recent Southeast Asian Games medalists are vying for the flyweight ticket – Josie Gabuco, Alice Kate Aparri and Nesthy Petecio. Gabuco won a gold medal in Indonesia last year as a pinweight (46 kilograms) while Aparri took the gold as a lightflyweight (48 kilograms) and Petecio claimed the silver as a bantamweight (54 kilograms). The contenders in the lightweight division are former Muay Thai specialist 5-7 Rica Aquino, 23, and newcomer Janice Vallares, 19.

The Asian Women’s Championships are scheduled in Mongolia in March and Picson said the tournament will decide the ABAP’s nominees for the Chongqing qualifiers.

Saludar, 24, won the gold medal as a flyweight at the 2010 Asian Games and brought home a bronze from the last SEA Games. The Polomolok, South Cotabato, fighter picked up two wins at the World Championships in Baku last year. So far, only two Asian flyweights have qualified for London – Chatchai Butdee of Thailand and Jasurbek Latipov of Uzbekistan.

Suarez, 23, and Galvan, 20, claimed gold medals at the last SEA Games. While Suarez is assured of competing in Astana, the ABAP is still undecided on whom to send in the lightwelterweight derby – Galvan or the 19-year-old Tacuyan. Cantancio, 25, and Tipon, 29, are the candidates in the bantamweight class.

So far, 11 Asian countries have qualified fighters for London with Kazakhstan topping the list with six entries. Uzbekistan and India have four apiece, Thailand and China three each, Japan, South Korea and Mongolia two apiece and the Philippines, Iran and Tajikistan one each. Of the 96 qualifiers so far, 29 are from Asia. The quotas for Asia are 56 of 250 slots for men and eight of 36 for women.

In 2004, the Philippines sent four boxers to the Athens Olympics – lightflyweight Harry Tañamor, flyweight Violito Payla, lightwelterweight Romeo Brin and middleweight Chris Camat. In 2008, only Tañamor represented the country in boxing at the Beijing Olympics. The Philippines’ last four Olympic medals came from boxing with Onyok Velasco the last to bag a silver in 1996. Boxing has contributed five of the country’s nine Olympic medals in history since the Philippines joined the biennial event in 1924. Two Filipinos captured gold medals – wushu’s Willy Wang in 2008 and bowling’s Arianne Cerdena in 1988 – but neither feat is recognized in the Olympic record books as they competed in demonstration sports.