PH boxers kumpiyansa sa Paris Olympics

OPTIMISTIKO ang Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) na ang kanilang team na pupuntang Paris Olympics ay kayang kopyahin,kung hindi malagpasan, ang performance sa Tokyo Games.

Sinabi ni ABAP secretary – general Marcus Jarwin Manalo na sina Nesthy Petecio (women’s 57kg), Aira Villegas (women’s 50kg), Hergie Bacyadan (women’s 75kg), Carlo Paalam (men’s 57kg) at Eumir Marcial (men’s 80kg) ay medal contenders.

“These five who qualify, we feel have a very good chance to podium and to go all the way,” Wika ni Manalo, na sinamahan ang team sa Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum sa conference hall ng Rizal Memorial Sports Complex Martes.

“We’re very optimistic that this is really a strong five that we’re bringing (to the Paris Olympics),” Dagdag nya.

Petecio at Paalam ay nagwagi ng silver medals habang si Marcial ay nakakuha ng bronze sa Tokyo Olympics.

“Alam kong hindi ganun kadali ngayon yung pag-dadaanan ko sa Paris especially iba siya sa Tokyo. Kasi sa Tokyo wala siyang exposure halos, walang laro, walang multi-training na ginawa. Ngayon open na. So hindi basta-basta gaya ng iniisip ng iba (I know that it will not be that easy for me to pass through Paris, especially since it is different from Tokyo. Because in Tokyo, there’s almost no exposure, no games, no multi-training was done. Now it’s open. So it’s not easy as others think),” Wika ni Petecio.

“Iba na yung level ng mga boxers ngayon. Kung may pinaka-maliit pa na butas ng karayom na pagdadaanan ko, mas maliit pa yung daan na gagawin ko dito (Today’s boxers are on a different level. If there is the tiniest hole of a needle for me to pass through, the path I will make through is even smaller),” Dagdag pa ni Petecio, na sinamahan nina Villegas, Bacyadan, at coaches Don Abnett, Reynaldo Galido, at Ronald Chavez.

Ang Philippine contingent, kabilang ang boxing team, ay aalis sa Hunyo 22 para sa kanilang month-long training sa Metz,France.

Habang ang Filipino boxers, ay tutungo sa Germany sa Agosto 1 para sa multi-nation training camp kasama ang iba pang Olympic qualifier.