Puno eyes better grassroots program

New Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines president Robbie Puno wants to strengthen the country's grassroots program by staging more tournaments to identify potential talents for the national team.

Puno, who is also the congressman of the first district of Antipolo City, succeeded the late Ed Picson this month.

"The objective of Ed Picson before was to increase the number of boxers that reside in the Philippine Sports Commission facility from 47 to 60. But how are you going to identify the other 13 boxers unless you have a grassroots tournament," Puno said in a radio interview yesterday.

"We lack grassroots tournaments in boxing and we have little opportunity to identify talents."

ABAP has helped mold Olympic medalists Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Marcial into champions with continuous development programs beginning from the youth level.

Petecio was 19 when she bagged a silver medal in the women's bantamweight in the 2011 Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia. Paalam, on the other hand, was 20 when he took home bronze in the men's flyweight at the 2018 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea while Marcial at the tender age of 16 claimed gold in the men's flyweight at the IBA Junior World Championships in 2011.

Aside from identifying new talents, ABAP is also focused on securing slots for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Puno hopes Filipino boxers will get good results in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in September which serves as an Olympic qualifier.

"For the women, they only need to win bronze to qualify for the Olympics. For the men, they have to get a silver or a gold medal in the Asian Games. They have to participate in the finals of the Asian Games to make it to the Olympics," Puno said.

"Our advice to our boxers is to qualify this September. It's a lot easier since it's at the Asian level and our medalists from the SEA Games will be our bets, especially in the lower weight classes."