The Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines won’t be traveling overseas for matches and training camps for the remainder of the year to focus on their buildup for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
ABAP secretary general Marcus Manalo said in a radio interview yesterday that jumping from competition to competition without the proper preparation was one of the reasons why the Filipino pugs only had one medal at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Tokyo Olympic Games bronze medalist Eumir Marcial was the only Filipino boxer to take home a medal in the recent Asiad after a silver in the men’s 80-kilogram event.
Manalo also said this move will ensure the boxers will be ready physically for the upcoming qualifiers in Busto Arsizio in Italy from 29 February to 12 March and in Bangkok from 23 May to 3 June.
“One of our realizations, especially for our female boxers, is that there was a bit too much in terms of competitions and training camps leading up to the Asian Games. It took a toll on their bodies in the Asian Games,” Manalo said.
“If you look at the calendar, we were out of the country every month for competitions and training camps so as much as we wanted to give them exposure, physically, it might have been too much.”
With Marcial being the lone boxer to book a slot for the French capital so far, Olympians Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio will have to play in the Olympic qualifiers next year to ensure their slots for the Paris Games.
Manalo also said the team will be training in Metro Manila for the rest of the year instead of in Baguio City to get better access to their team.
Overseas training for the Filipino pugs begins in January back in Australia.
