Fighters eye overall title in boxing

WITH a reigning world champion and a pair of former titlists in the lineup, Philippine boxing teams plunge into action starting on Wednesday as ring hostilities in the 30th Southeast Asian Games open at the PICC Forum.

World champion Nesthy Petecio and ex- titleholders Eumir Marcial and Josie Gabuco, and teammates were pronounced ready to accomplished the mission.

Petecio has just been recently crowned the 2019 featherweight champ, Gabuco the 2012 light - mer world junior middleweight titleholder.

Marcial, too, took the silver medal in this year’s AIBA championships held in Russia.

“Yeah, we hope to win back the overall title in boxing which we last held four years ago in Singapore where we brought home of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines secretary general Ed Picson assured TheManilaTimes in an interview on Tuesday.

“It won’t be easy, but we’ll try,” Picson said. “Our boys and girls have already proven their worth in several international competitions they took part in so, busog sa karanasan ang mga ‘yan.”

their homeland and before their countrymen, kaya we in ABAP are sure inspired at properly motivated ang ating koponan,” he added.

Head coach Ronaldo Cjavez and his assistant, Barcelona Olympics bronze medalist Roel Velasco agreed with the ABAP secretary general’s projection.

“Yeah, we can make it as overall champion,” Chavez and Velasco chorused.

Supporting Petecio, Marcial and Gabuco in the hosts’ cam Paalam, and flyweight Rogen Ladon in the men’s tream.

Also in the men’s squad are bantamweight Ian Clark Bautista, light-featherweight James Palicte, lightweight Charly Suarez,

welterweight Marjon Pianar and light- heavyweight John Noble Marvin.

Suarez, who has already turned on the strength of a special dispensation from AIBA having fought only four times in the box-for-money rank.

bantamweight Aira Villegas, lightweight Riza Pasuit.

Marcial and Marvin are the only Filipino gold medalists in the 29th SEA Games held in Kuala Lumpur.

From the time featherweight Rey Fortaleza,, lightweight Ruben Mares and welterweight Fernando Cruz won the gold medals in 1977, the Filipino simonpures have brought home a total 59 gold medals.

Making boxing as the second winningest contingent, next only to athletics, in the bi-a annual competition since the country