“We want to have as many boxers qualify to the Olympics. Hopefully, on April 2012 three or four more can earn Olympic berths in the qualifying tournament,” said Vargas. The Asian Boxing Confederation Olympic Qualifying Tournament will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan from March 30 to April 8, 2012.
Guangzhou Asian Games gold medalist Rey Saludar leads the country’s charge in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in the 52-kilogram weight division.Junnel Cantancio and Joan Tipn (56kg), 26th Southeast Asian Games gold medalists Charly Suarez (60kg) and Dennis Galvan (64kg) and Delfin Boholst (69kg) are the other Filipino boxers aiming to earn Olympic spots.
National team coach Nolito Velasco said 26 Olympic slots are still up for grabs for Asian boxers in Kazakhstan. Mark Anthony Barriga (46-49kgs) is the only Filipino boxer that earned a spot in the 2012 Summer Games. Aside from next year’s Asian Championships, ABAP said Suarez can earn a spot in the London Games if he wins his weight division in the World Series of Boxing in India. Suarez was drafted by the Mumbai Fighters team in the semi-professional boxing tournament.
ABAP executive director Ed Picson said the cPhilippines’ failure to win a gold medal in the last two editions of the World Championships earned the country a request for a wildcard berth to the International Boxing Association, the sports’ world governing body.
“We are going to need the Philippine Olympic Committee’s (POC) help so we can request a wildcard slot with the AIBA,” said Picson. — JVP, GMA News
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