Ladon, Marcial eye slots to Rio

MANILA, Philippines - Lightfly Rogen Ladon and welterweight Eumir Felix Marcial leave for Doha, Qatar tonight, ready to slug it out with the best in the world in the AIBA World Championships and seek slots in next year’s Rio Olympics.

“That’s the ultimate goal – to make it to Rio,” said Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines executive director Ed Picson yesterday, referring to the event, set Oct. 6-15, which serves as qualifier to next year’s Olympics in Brazil.

As standard procedure, the two boxers underwent medical checkup yesterday in Makati, accompanied by coaches Boy Velasco and Romeo Brin.

Marcial had his right eye checked because of the swelling he suffered during the ASBC Asian Championships in Bangkok last month.

Marcial, who’s only 19, and Ladon, who’s 21, settled for the silver medals in Bangkok but managed to earn slots to Doha.

“They’re both okay,” said Picson, who will lead the small Philippine delegation to the AIBA World Championships.

In Ladon’s case, only the top two boxers in Doha will book tickets to Rio while in Marcial’s weight class, the top three will make it to the Olympics.

The two bronze medalists in the 69 kg class will figure in a box-off to determine who goes to the Olympics next year.

Ladon beat boxers from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Mongolia before losing to the top-seeded bet from Uzbekistan in the finals in Bangkok.

He vowed to give his best in Doha.

“Competing in the Olympics has always been my dream as a boxer,” he said in Filipino.

Marcial, a gold medalist in the 2011 World Junior Championships, is as determined, saying making it to the Olympics has been a promise he made to his 66-year-old father.

“I want my father to see me compete in the Olympics while he’s younger,” said Marcial, who did very well in Bangkok, beating seeded foes from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Thailand and Japan before losing to the world No. 1 from Kazakhstan in the finals.

There are other qualifying events for the next Summer Games, according to Picson, and that opens the doors to other Pinoy boxers like lightweight Charly Suarez, bantam Mario Fernandez, flyweight Ian Clark Bautista or 2012 London Olympics veteran Mark Anthony Barriga.

“But it’s better to get there ahead of the others. This World Championships presents a good chance for Ladon and Marcial,” said Picson.

Ladon and Barriga are both in the 49 kg class. In case they both qualify to the Olympics, the ABAP will have to decide who goes to Rio.

“It depends on a lot of factors like who’s in better shape heading to Rio or who’s been working harder in training. It’s not just the skills but the discipline.

“We can stage a box-off between them in case it’s needed,” said Picson.

But the World Championships is the task at hand.

“Ladon and Marcial are both in high spirits. I’ve seen them in training and I just hope it translates into victories inside the ring,” said Picson.