By Nick Giongco
The Philippine men’s boxing team is jetting back to Thailand where it will train for almost two weeks before heading to the Olympic boxing qualifiers in Amman, Jordan, next month.
Philippines’ Eumir Felix Marcial (red) defeats Malaysia’s Che Azmi Mohd Aswan in Boxing middleweight semifinals at PICC Forum in Pasay, December 6, 2019. (MB Photo / Rio Leonelle Deluvio / Canon 1DX Mark II with 400mm f2.8 lens, File)
Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) secretary general Ed Picson said six other national teams bound for the Jordan slugfest that will dangle slots to the Tokyo Olympics, are also setting up camp in a city just outside Bangkok.
Last month, the Filipino fighters spent weeks there as they prepared to leave for the qualifiers originally scheduled Feb. 3-14 in Wuhan, China.
But the coronavirus outbreak forced the International Olympic Committee to move the event to Amman for fear of contracting the deadly disease.
The Amman boxfest is scheduled March 3-11 with bets not only from Asia but from Oceania taking part.
Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines secretary general Ed Picson. (MB Photo / Kevin Tristan Espiritu, File)
Picson said the boxers are returning to Manila on Feb. 26 in time for their flight to the Middle East on Feb. 28.
The Jordan tournament is one of just two qualifying events for those seeking Olympic berths.
Those who won’t make the grade during the continental qualifiers will get one last chance when Paris hosts the World Qualification Tournament from May 13-24.
Source: Manila Bulletin
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