ABAP eyes bubble setup

The Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) is on panic mode and secretary-general Ed Picson believes it is high time that select boxers are permitted to resume training again.

“We are talking about 12 to 15 people, composed of boxers and their coaches,” Picson told the Daily Tribune, noting that these are boxers who are in the hunt for slots to the Tokyo Olympics. ABAP has submitted to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases a proposal that will ensure safety protocol are going to be followed in the event the ABAP is allowed to set up training camp. ABAP, however, admits finding an area that will be turned into a bubble has been hard although Picson has identified a few sites.

A crucial meeting with Tokyo Olympics chief of mission Mariano “Nonong” Araneta is on tap and Picson is looking forward to raise the issue once again.

“It’s been six, seven months and it is important that these elite athletes begin training while being supervised by their coaches,” Picson said. While the boxers haven’t been remiss in their duties to send video clips of their workouts, Picson insist nothing beats training in the presence of a coach. Boxing already has two qualifiers to Tokyo in Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno. Marcial isn’t likely to join the ABAP bubble since he has decided to turn professional and is scheduled to campaign in the US before the end of the year.

“My concern is their weight because it’s been a long time since they trained properly,” Picson added.

The rescheduled Olympics will take place in July 2021 and ABAP is determined to send more qualifiers by competing in the World Qualifier that will be scheduled sometime in the first six months of next year.