Phl ready to host Asian junior boxing in August

MANILA, Philippines – The continent’s best young boxers will converge in the Philippines this year as the country is set host the ASBC Asian Confederation Junior Championships.

According to Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (Abap) executive director Ed Picson, the tournament for pugs aged 14-15 will be held in August possibly in Davao.

“During the last ASBC (Asian Boxing Confederation) executive committee meeting in Abu Dhabi, Mr. Ricky Vargas, our president, announced we’re ready to host an Asian tournament for 2017 and he’s committed for the Asian Junior Championship to be held in the Philippines,” said Picson.

“I think he’s looking at Davao to be the venue,” he added.

This will be the first time for Phl to stage a continental meet since the Asian Youth Championships hosting in 2013 in Subic.

The Asian Juniors boxfest is one of the ASBC’s major competitions for the year, along with the Men’s Elite Championships, the Women’s Elite Championships, the Asian Youth Championships (for 16-17 year-old boxers), and Asian Schoolboys Championships (for 12-13 year-old boxers).

“Naka-commit na tayo dyan (We’re already committed to the hosting) and it was already approved. I got the boxing calendar and nakatala na doon  (it’s already listed that) the Asian Junior Boxing Championships will be held in the Philippines,” said Picson.

That period will be a hectic time for Abap, according to Picson, as it will not only be preparing for the hosting and the training of Pinoy junior boxers but also the preparations of elite boxers for the Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia in the same month and Aiba World Boxing Championship slated September in Hamburg, Germany.

“It’s going to be a busy time for Abap,” said Picson.

Meanwhile, the Abap has penciled a planning session this week to chart the course for its programs for the year.

“We’ll pinpoint the tournaments we can participate in as well as training camps we’ll schedule. Also, we’re looking at hiring a foreign coaching consultant who can assist our national coaches,” he said.