The Philippine national boxing team is beaming with confidence heading into the 2019 Southeast Asian Games despite a few minor hitches.
Coach Ronald Chavez said James Palicte and Eumir Marcial are experiencing some nagging body pain while Carlo Paalam has yet to make weight for the light flyweight division.
Paalam fought in the Aiba World Boxing Championships in September as a flyweight (52 kg) but he needs to go down to the 49-kg class for the SEA Games.
Nevertheless, Chavez was a picture of optimism a month before the regional games.
“Eumir and Palicte just need to rest a little bit because their muscles are a little too tight from getting worked out too much,” Chavez said in Filipino on Friday in a phone interview with the Inquirer.
“We have a small problem with Carlo because he still has to make weight for [his] division,” added Chavez, whose boxers weigh themselves every day before their morning runs.
Marcial and light heavyweight John Marvin are hoping to successfully defend the titles they won in 2017.
Marcial claimed his second SEA Games gold medal when he triumphed in the middleweight division while Marvin ruled the light heavyweight division.