ABAP skipping world boxfest?

The Philippines might end up skipping the 2023 World Championships and join a boycott being led by the United States and Great Britain as a sign of defiance to the measures being undertaken by the International Boxing Association.

This move by the IBA, according to Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines secretary general Marcus Manalo, would earn the ire of the International Olympic Committee and could result in boxing being scrapped not just from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"If the IBA continues (with) this, malaki ang chance na IOC will remove boxing in Paris pa lang," Manalo said.

"The IOC already expressed that last year. (It seems) the IBA doesn't have any plans of listening to the IOC. They want their own terms," he said.

The IOC is running the affairs of boxing in the absence of a legitimate group for boxing since the IBA is not officially recognized (to run the sport) due to a bevy of issues relating mainly to mismanagement and widespread corruption.

The IOC had already ruled that the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, this September-October will be a qualifying event for the Paris Olympics.

But a few days ago, the IBA came out with an announcement that the 2023 worlds taking place from 1 to 11 May in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, will also serve as an Olympic qualifier as well.

"(The ABAP) is still thinking about it (participating in the worlds)," Manalo said.

Worse, the IBA has also identified tournaments boxers can take part in for Paris qualification despite the IOC's directive that only the continental multi-nation sparsest will be tapped as qualifying meets aside from two world tournaments it will be holding in 2024.

The Filipino boxers are currently campaigning in a Bulgarian slugfest as part of the ABAP's buildup for the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh in May and the Asian Games in China.

In essence, all these events are geared towards Paris 2024.

During the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, it was the IOC that ran the affairs of boxing in the absence of a governing body for the sport.