Boxers ready for SEAG war

MANILA, Philippines - The Filipino boxers are more than willing to take the cudgels for the Philippine delegation to the 27th Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar in December.

“I am confident with our boxing team,” said Ed Picson, executive director of the Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines, yesterday.

The ABAP official graced the PSA Forum at Shakey’s Malate where he was joined by coach Pat Gaspi. They both aired confidence in the coming SEA Games.

“I know they will come up with another good performance,” said Picson.

The Filipino boxers have been the perennial source of medals in international events like the SEA Games, Asian Games and even the Olympics.

In the 2011 SEA Games in Jakarta, the boxing team delivered four gold, one silver and one bronze medals, and was surpassed only by the taekwondo team with a haul of 4-3-5.

Providing the gold medals in 2011 were lightweight Charly Suarez, light-welterweight Dennis Galvan, pinweight Josie Gabuco and light-flyweight Alice Kate Aparri.

There’s no official lineup yet for the Philippine boxing team to Myanmar.

In the 2009 SEA Games in Laos, the Pinoy boxers brought home five gold, one silver and three bronze medals.

Picson said he expects the same level of performance from the boxers who will have to deliver in the absence of the other medal sources for the country.

The Philippines will not send teams in golf and chess while the sport of tennis is out of this year’s calendar.

“We’d rather not think about it (pressure). We’ll just do what we need to do and hopefully come up with something the country will be proud of,” said Picson.

“It’s hard to make a projection. Unlike the pros, we do not know who our opponents will be until the last minute. I have no idea on how it will go. It’s very difficult to make an educated guess.

“But I’m confident with the ability of our boxers. They’re training hard and I know they will be ready in the SEA Games,” added the ABAP executive-director.

Five Pinoy boxers led by Olympian Mark Barriga will lead the country’s campaign in the AIBA World Boxing Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan next month.

Barriga, the lone Filipino boxer in the 2012 London Olympics, will see action in the light-flyweight category of the Oct. 11-27 tournament featuring the finest fighters around the world.

Also on the team are Roldan Bongcales (flyweight), Mario Fernandez (bantamweight), Junel Cantancio (lightweight), and Dennis Galvan (light-welterweight).