Nat’l boxers return to camp
‘The goal is to improve our grassroots program and further improve our elite program particularly in providing more international training and competition opportunities for our boxers.’
ABAP secretary general Marcus Manalo expects Paris Olympics bronze medalists Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas to return to camp this coming week.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF Marcus Manalo/IG
The Philippine national boxing team returns to training after a long break following their campaign in the Paris Olympics last year.
Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines secretary general Marcus Manalo told DAILY TRIBUNE that the Filipino boxers will start their build-up from January to March before going overseas for various international competitions, including the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand towards the end of 2025.
“We have a build-up in the 10-week training block from Jan to March, join a multi-nation training camp in Korea in April,” Manalo said.
“We will join international tournaments in Thailand, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Germany from May to July and a multination training camp in Wales in August right before the World Championships in September.”
“There will be a training camp in October, Asian Championships in November and then the SEA Games in December.”
The Philippines is coming off a two-bronze medal haul in the Paris Games thanks to boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas.
Manalo hopes to continue the momentum for 2025.
“The goal is to improve our grassroots program and further improve our elite program particularly in providing more international training and competition opportunities for our boxers,” Manalo said.
The ABAP had its most productive campaign with three medals — two silvers and a bronze — during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.