VARGAS KEEPS POST AS ABAP PRESIDENT
Ricky Vargas, who promised to resign after Rio, remains as president Vargas vows to improve grassroots program, hold more tournaments Cebuano businessman Lorenzo Chao Sy elected as Region 7 head
Ricky Vargas got the vote of confidence from all the stakeholders of amateur boxing in the country during the election in Pasay City last Saturday.
Despite his announcement to step down as the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines, Inc. (Abap) president following another dismal performance of the Filipino boxers at the Rio Olympics last September, Vargas still got the unanimous nod of regional directors and boxing officials in the elections supervised by Philippine Olympic Committee secretary general Stephen Hontiveros and witnessed by Ramon Fernandez of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
“I am honored and humbled by the continued support of our members. While we were disappointed at our failure to win medals in the Olympics, we offer no excuses. Rather, we pledge to move forward and ramp our efforts to energize the national boxers into a more potent force in the international arena. Our grassroots program, which has been the center-piece of our administration, will be even more active and our already warm relations with our international federations AIBA and ASBC will be further enhanced. Together with the other members of our board, we will initiate more local tournaments in the country- side. Our referees, judges and coaches will continue to have more opportunities for advancement,” Vargas said in his acceptance speech.
Manuel V. Pangilinan , who has been the association’s major financial backer for the past eight years, was also re-elected as chairman, while Lorenzo Chao Sy was elected as regional director for Central Visayas.
Sy, who has been with the boxing industry of Cebu for more than 40 years, will head the Region 7’s development. He also got the support of the noted boxing patron Antonio L. Aldeguer and Cebu City Sports Commission chairman Edward Hayco. /