Manila, Philippines, November 15, 2022: National boxers received a huge shot in the arm as Philippine Sports Commission Chair Noli Eala expressed full support in their quest to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Eala said that the government’s sports agency had been in talks with the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) to ensure that the country’s top boxers would receive enough training and international exposure bankrolled by the government.
“We are in full support of our national boxers all the way to the Paris Olympics. We’ve already discussed the plans with ABAP President Ed Picson as to how we can level up the support and programmes for our elite athletes,” Eala said.
Eala added that he would also look into the possibility of building a team composed of coaches and sports science experts similar to the crew the PSC created for Tokyo 2020 Olympic weightlifting gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz and Olympian pole vaulter EJ Obiena.
The Philippines won two silver medals and one bronze medal in boxing at Tokyo 2020. Nesthy Petecio (women’s featherweight) and Carlo Paalam (men's flyweight) won silver and Eumir Marcial (men's middleweight) went home with bronze.
Eala urged the boxers: “Stay hungry and motivated. Your success is the country’s success,” he said.
The PSC Chair was speaking as he welcomed 2022 ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championship gold medalist Paalam and bronze medalists Petecio and Hergie Bacyadan at Rizal Memorial Sports Complex on Monday, November 14.
Source: Daily Tribune