Business as usual at Abap

HERE’S a caveat from the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (Abap), the country’s governing body in boxing, after it joined an overwhelming majority of International Boxing Association (Aiba) federations in a forceful action last week.

At a special congress in Lausanne, Switzerland, Abap and 83 other voting members permitted professional boxers to compete in the Olympics if they qualify, beginning with the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro this August.

Sensing big money, boxing—the last amateur holdout of the major Olympic sports—has embraced the Games’ commercial pull that started in 1992.

“The fact that Aiba now allows pros in the Olympics does not affect Abap at all, because we are not considering any professional boxer as part of our team,” says Ed Picson, the group’s executive director. “Aiba statutes only allow pros who are endorsed or named by the national federation as members of the national team.”

Abap’s business-as-usual stance follows its role, wittingly or not, in the grand titillation of Olympic boxing while ring icon Manny Pacquiao pondered to box or not in Rio.

Boxing’s national sports association served as a conduit between Aiba and Pacquiao while the senator-elect made up his mind.

The Pacman eventually decided to focus on his burgeoning political career instead of accepting a “wild card,” euphemism for a personal invite from Aiba president Wu Ching-kuo in his effort to lure marquee names to the Olympic boxoffs in Brazil this year.

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While preparing its own boxers for the Olympics, the Abap will bring three fighters to the AOB Final Olympic Qualifying Event in Baku, Azerbaijan, on June 16 to 25.

Flyweight Ian Clarke Bautista, bantamweight Mario Fernandez and welterweight Eumir Marcial will join 450 other fighters striving to earn tickets to Rio.

There will be five Olympic slots open for every weight division in Baku. The gold, silver and two bronze medalists plus one quarterfinalist in each weight class will be qualified to fight in the Olympics.

Picson said our Baku fighters “have a pretty good chance, but then again, 450 boxers are expected, so it can’t be a walk in the park.”

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Basketball legend Ramon Fernandez was reported among the select guests at a private party for President-elect Rodrigo Duterte at Cebu Country Club Wednesday night.

Now a businessman based in the South’s premier city, Fernandez is said to be a candidate for the chairmanship of the Philippine Sports Commission, the government’s sports policymaking body.

In a text message Thursday, “El Presidente” said “No, I am not in the running in the first place. I don’t know why I’m mentioned.”

But would he reconsider if offered the job? “I will cross the bridge when I get there,” said the PBA Hall of Famer.
Other names being mentioned include a former senator, a PBA coach who lost his Congress seat, a former local Olympic chief and incumbent chair Richie Garcia.

Garcia came to see Pacquiao, the expected chair of the Senate games, amusement and sports committee, not to lobby for his retention but for the continuation of “reforms he has started at the PSC.” The quote is from Aquiles Zonio, Pacman’s chosen information chief.