Boxers boost Tokyo chances

The country’s chances to send additional boxers to the Tokyo Olympics got a boost after the Boxing Task Force (BTF) decided to cancel the World Qualifiers set this June in Paris.

According to Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (ABAP) secretary general Ed Picson, the likes of world champion Nesthy Petecio, Josie Gabuco and Carlo Paalam will now have handsome chances of making it to the Olympics as the BTF will now determine the qualification based on their ranking points.

Picson learned this development after attending a virtual meeting presided by BTF chief Morinari Watanabe of Japan with representatives from 30 Asian countries.

The BTF will announce the qualified athletes in March.

ABAP president Ricky Vargas was elated over the news, saying that he is hoping that the country would be able to send two more boxers to the Summer Games to join Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno.

Marcial punched his Olympic ticket after dominating the Asia-Oceania Olympic Qualification Tournament in Amman, Jordan while Magno secured her slot in the box-off of the same tourney. “I hope we get at least two more Olympic slots,” said Vargas in a press statement. Based on the latest world ranking released by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) in September last year, Petecio is No. 2 in the women’s featherweight division behind Lin Yu-Ting of Chinese Taipei, who already secured her spot in the Summer Games.

Also figuring prominently are Gabuco, who is No. 10 in women’s light flyweight; Paalam, who is No. 12 in men’s flyweight; and Ian Clark Bautista, who is No. 12 in men’s bantamweight.

Magno, Petecio, Gabuco, Paalam, Bautista, Rogen Ladon, Mario Fernandez and Aira Villegas are all training at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna while Marcial is working at the world-famous Wild Card Boxing Gym in Los Angeles.