Working boys of ABAP

BAGUIO CITY — Paid a visit to the Philippine national boxing team’s training facility at Teacher’s Camp a few days ago and was left utterly impressed.

On hand to warmly receive me near the main gate was national coach Ronald Chavez and Australian Don Abnett, who serves as the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) training director.

The visit was facilitated by national team head coach Pat Gaspi and secretary general Marcus Manalo.

Of course, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), under the leadership of chairperson Patrick “Pato” Gregorio, was contacted by this writer to formally request entry inside the PSC-controlled property.

Mind you, just minutes into my visit, I could not help but marvel at the world-class facilities at the ABAP gym and dormitories.

Even the choice for sustenance was impressive.

As it turns out, the catering services was arranged by the PSC.

“The chef used to be with the Manor Hotel,” one of the coaches said.

Roel Velasco, the 1992 Barcelona Olympics bronze medalist, was there to greet me as well and provide details about the boxers’ training and upcoming events.

I remember telling him a few times that their Teacher’s Camp residence is what a training camp should look like.

Velasco smiled and you could see the sincerity in his facial expression.

Spoke with two boxers — Cebuanos Jay Bryan Baricuatro and Mark Ashley Fajardo — and they seem to be committed in helping the Philippines put an end to its elusive gold medal quest in the sport.

“They are the future of Philippine boxing,” Chavez quipped.

The future, specifically, is the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Qualifications will take place not this year but in 2027 and well into 2028.

By the looks of it, the two young punchers are going to be in the thick of competitions to earn Olympic slots.

Aside from them, I noticed that many members of the national training squad are tall and rangy guys, and not the pint-sized fighters that inhabited the ABAP many years ago.

As you can see, in amateur boxing, short guys are at a disadvantage.

When one is under-sized, taller opponents toy with them.

Of course, there are exceptions.

Case in point is Roel’s brother Onyok, who won silver four years later in Atlanta.

But then again, Onyok, while he was cat-quick and highly-skilled, he could not overcome his tall and rangy Bulgarian foe, Daniel Bujilov, for the gold.

Well, that’s a different story for another day.

Bottomline is, the ABAP appears to be on the right track.

If one of the fighters strike gold in 2028, I would look back to this visit as a watershed moment.