Philippine boxing body sets sights on heavyweight pug 

MANILA, Philippines – If plans don’t miscarry, the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) will have a heavyweight boxer competing for country and flag in the near future.

ABAP president Ed Picson did not divulge the name of the said boxer but hinted this one has a potential and is interested to take up the sport instead of the more popular basketball and volleyball.

“There is this heavyweight, 18 years old, 210 pounds, six-foot-one boxer somewhere in the Visayas and very interested in joining us, peron medyo hilaw pa (but he is still raw),” said Picson during Tuesday’s online Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum.

“We’re negotiating with him and his parents,” he added.

If this pug agrees to join the national pool, he will be the biggest since light heavy John Marvin made the squad.

“Ever since I came into ABAP, I haven’t seen a heavyweight and this will be the first time we will have a legit local heavyweight,” Picson said.

Meanwhile, Picson announced they would field in a team composed of six male and six female boxers to the Asian Under-22 Championships slated Jan. 20-30 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

“We have already informed all our boxers and coaches that we have a Christmas break from December 18 to January 8. But then the invitation came out so we had to sadly inform them,” he said.