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By Ruben D. Manahan 4th Reporter
THE Amateur Boxing Association of
the Philippines will announce on Wednesday who will compete in the
Asian Olympic qualifying in Bangkok, Thailand on January 25 to
February 3.
ABAP President Manny Lopez said
that the candidates for the Bangkok-bound RP team are Violito Payla
and Godfrey Castro (51kg), Joan Tipon and Junel Cantancio (54kg),
Orlando Tacuyan Jr. and Charlie Suarez (57kg), Genebert Basadre and
Joegin Ladon (60kg), Fil-Am Adam Feihl Bigornia and Delfin Boholst
(64kg) and Wilfredo Lopez and Larry Semillano (69kg).
“The coaching staff is still
choosing who will go to Bangkok. The names will be ready by
Wednesday,” said Lopez in a telephone interview Monday.
Lopez said that they are
scheduled to leave for Thailand on January 23.
The third and final Asian Olympic
qualifying will be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan on March.
So far, only Harry Tañamor has
earned a slot in the Beijing Olympics after winning silver in the
2007 AIBA World Championship in Chicago, Illinois.
Meanwhile, Philippine Sports
Commissioner Ritchie Garcia said that they are still looking for a
Cuban coach who will supervise the national boxers’ preparation
for the Beijing Olympics scheduled August 8 to 24.
“Chairman [William] Ramirez
will be going to Cuba after the Olympic qualifying round in Bangkok
to look for a topnotch boxer to train our national team,” Garcia
said.
ABAP hopes to get someone in the
caliber of Raul Liranza, the mentor of 1996 Atlanta silver medalist
Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco. Those being considered are Cuban
national coaches Sarvelio Fuentes Rodriguez, Carlos Mena, Julio
Gonzales Cidenio and Pedro Luis Benitez, and the brother of Dr.
Alcides Sagarra.
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