ABAP welcomes ‘Coach Rogen’

The Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (ABAP) is happy to give Rogen Ladon a new title: Coach Rogen.

ABAP secretary general Marcus Manalo told DAILY TRIBUNE that Ladon will be a welcome addition to their coaching staff due to his leadership and experience acquired from his long stint as an amateur boxer.

Manalo said Ladon will start as an apprentice of Barcelona Olympics veteran Roel Velasco in their star-studded coaching staff led by Australian Don Abnett and Ronald Chavez.

“Not only his skills, but we saw his leadership as well. He was the team captain of the men’s team so he really has leadership capacity,” said Manalo, referring to Ladon, who campaigned in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.

“Plus, the wealth of experience that he had. He was also a former Olympian so he will be able to help a lot with coaching.”

Manalo said it was actually their plan to have Ladon learn the ropes after the Paris Olympics. But the plan was expedited after he lost to Rafael Lozano Serrano, 4-1, in the Round of 64 of the men’s 51-kilogram division of the 2nd World Qualification Tournament held in Bangkok last May.

“Personally, I wanted him to give that last hurrah for this Olympics because he can still do it,” Manalo said.

“He didn’t qualify for Paris so we were able to speak to him after the second qualifying tournament.”

“That’s what we talked about before. So, now, he’s like an apprentice.”

Ladon has fought multiple bouts in his storied career and has the medals to back it up.

The Bago, Negros Occidental native clinched two gold medals in the men’s 51-kg division of the Southeast Asian Games in 2019 in Manila and in 2022 in Hanoi.

He was also an Asian Games silver medalist back in 2018 after making it to the final of the men’s 49-kg division in Indonesia and another silver in the Asian Championships in Bangkok in 2015 in the same division.

He also clinched a bronze medal in the AIBA World Championships in 2015 in Qatar in the men’s 49-kg division.

But Ladon’s biggest achievement was qualifying for the Rio Olympics despite losing to Yuberien Martinez of Colombia in the Round of 16 of the men’s 49-kg division.

Manalo said Ladon will have no problem establishing himself as a coach due to the respect that other young boxers have on him.

“All of our boxers respect him because they know what he was capable of as the team captain,” Manalo said.