PSA Forum: ABAP hopes that re-scheduled Olympics to commence

If the Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines have a say, they are hoping that the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics will push through as promised, so that they could not let the golden chance pass once again.

This is what the dynamic duo of president Ricky Vargas and general-secretary Ed Picson have said during the fourth online session of the weekly Philippine Sportswriters' Association Forum on the final day of the month of June.

“I’m just hoping that the Olympics will push through because this is our best chance,” Vargas said, despite receiving reports that most of the residents in the world's most populous metropolis are even skeptical of hosting the rescheduled date, suggesting that are preferring  for a further delay, or worse, cancel it altogether.

The biggest sporting spectacle in the world is supposed to commence on July 23, but the coronavirus pandemic that led to a global shutdown in March threw everything out of the window.

“We lost steam,”  said Vargas, who returned to his old post after stepping down from the top post of the Philippine Olympic Committee last year. “Sayang. We were more ready then that we are now.” 

With the postponement of the Olympics, which was the first time it had happened in the post-war era, it also threw off the plans of everyone related to sports.

And that includes boxing as ABAP were in the middle of preparing for the qualifiers of the boxing competition, in which Vargas believed that it gave them the biggest chance for that gold medal that eluded the country since they debuted in Paris 1924.

Boxing comprises half of the ten medals the Philippines have won in the Summer Games with two silvers and three bronzes, with Onyok Velasco the last to hit the podium when he lost to Bulgaria's Daniel Petrov in Atlanta 24 years ago.

“When I look at our boxers, we were ready (for Tokyo 2020),” he then said, with former World Youth Champion Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno are the country's bets in boxing, and is hoping for others led by AIBA world titlist Nesthy Petecio to follow them to Japan.

To cope up with the absence of physical training, the national boxers are going online with their training to keep themselves fit and on standby should there will be a green light to compete.

"Given the situation, that is the next best thing," Picson said. 

“But it’s not the same. Training online is not the same. We need to be able to go back to the gym and spar and box. Not only here but overseas as well,” said Vargas.

With the pugilists in limbo, only time can tell if they are coming back to the ring.

Photo is from Philippine Sportswriters' Association