Should Abap be facing a blank wall?

THE HEAD of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (Abap) was being cautious and kind in commenting about the final result of the Philippine bid to qualify fighters to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Abap president Ricky Vargas was quoted as admitting he was “a bit disappointed” at the failure of the national boxing agency to qualify more than two boxers to the Olympics in Brazil next month.

The Philippines will be entering two boxers—light flyweight Rogen Ladon and lightweight Charly Suarez—in the Rio Summer Games.

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“I was expecting a maximum of five or a minimum of three,” Vargas said.

Vargas added that he has told Abap executive director Ed Picson how he exactly felt.

Vargas refused to elaborate; although there was widespread disappointment at the subpar output of the national boxing association.

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This reporter next contacted Picson, who was in the US East Coast to supervise the continued buildup of the two Filipino boxers.

Picson explained: “Mr. Vargas expressed the sentiment of everybody in the organization, including myself.”

He added: “We could’ve qualified more, but it is what it is.”

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The way my dear friend Ed Picson sounded, he was either at a loss or facing a blank wall, to put it bluntly.

“Marcial and Petecio could have easily made it, but these things happen,” Picson continued.

Unfortunately, he failed to specify what happened. Either he had run out of time, or he did not find it necessary to go into details.

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For the record, in the earlier stages of preparations, when the Abap team of Olympic hopefuls was making a strong showing in regional competitions, Picson was profuse in expressing gratitude at how things continued to go smoothly.

With enormous funding, the national boxing team was able to get involved extensively in foreign competitions.

Pardon this, but there’s a critical need to determine where the Abap had faulted. Why? They also have to bear in mind what Michael Jordan continued to profess that, if an athlete is unable to determine the wrong things he’s doing, he could go on trying indefinitely and end up perfecting or improving only on what’s wrong.