ABAP, top sports chiefs headed for showdown

The Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (ABAP) and top officials of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) are heading to a showdown over the hiring of a British coach to handle the training of Filipino boxers aiming for slots in the Rio Olympics.

POC and PSC officials said British coach Chris Cain does not have the credentials to achieve the country’s objective of sending boxers to the Olympics, calling the Briton a mere “club coach.”

But ABAP President Ricky Vargas appears to disagree saying yesterday that they are going with Cain as the right man for the job.

“He’s the choice of the ABAP,” said Vargas yesterday after being informed that PSC Chairman Ricardo Garcia and POC President Jose Cojuangco Jr. had dismissed Cain as the wrong choice and said the ABAP should look for another person.

Vargas has been abroad the past several days and arrived only yesterday only to be told that his association’s choice as coach-trainer-consultant for the boxing team had been dismissed by sports officials as probably unworthy of the $5,000 a month stipend.

“I haven’t been told either formally or informally about it,” Vargas said, sounding perplexed as to why the POC is not on board with Cain’s recruitment.

Vargas said it was the POC that pushed for the hiring of foreign coaches to help Filipino aspirants to improve their chances to make it to Rio.

But Garcia said that while the PSC approves of getting a foreign coach, Cain does not seem to fit his idea of a boxing expert after going through his credentials.

His opinion was echoed by Cojuangco who also disapproved of hiring Cain.

Whether Vargas will defy the PSC and POC and proceed with the hiring of Cain is not yet known but if he does, then the ABAP might have to shoulder the $5,000 (about R235,000) monthly salary of the British coach. – Nick Giongco