With renewed hope, PH boxing seeks elusive gold at Paris Olympics

Carlo Paalam will look to improve on his silver medal from the Tokyo Olympics as he competes in the Paris Olympics. —INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

BANGKOK—Falling short of the ultimate prize in Tokyo 2020, the Philippine national boxing squad will return to the Olympic ring in Paris refitted with new tools plus a renewed hope of finally snaring the gold medal.

The five Filipino boxers who qualified—Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio, Aira Villegas and just recently Carlo Paalam and Hergie Bacyadan—have been tasked to complete the mission that the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (Abap) has pined for so long.

“My dream is to win a gold medal after 12 years [of being with Abap]. We weren’t able to do that (in the previous Olympics),’’ said Abap chair Ricky Vargas as the local boxing association sends its biggest delegation ever to the Olympics next month.

READ: Carlo Paalam makes it to Paris Olympics after ‘difficult’ route

Petecio and Paalam were adored for their silver-medal outputs in Tokyo that went superbly well with Marcial’s bronze medal, easily making it the best finish in the Olympics headlined by weightlifting heroine Hidilyn Diaz’s milestone gold.

“We are hoping to up the ante this time and bring home a gold medal,’’ said Vargas, also the present chairman of the Philippine Basketball Association board of governors.

With the global showpiece barely two months away, support from the Philippine Sports Commission, the Philippine Olympic Committee and the MVP Sports Foundation will come pouring in for the five boxers.

Aside from providing the whole shebang of coaches, trainers, therapists, psychologists, nutritionists and masseurs, Vargas said the chain of hospitals under the MVP group will put on a concerted effort to ensure that the boxers would be in tip-top shape during competition.

READ: Hergie Bacyadan fights through doubt, earns Paris Olympics slot

“There’s no turning back. They deserve all the support they need. Hats off to our boxers, they are the real heroes,’’ said Vargas.

The Abap, which handles the affairs of the national team, fielded 10 boxers from its pool at both World Olympic Qualification Tournaments held in Busto Arsizio, Italy, in March and at the Indoor Stadium Huamark here that concluded on Sunday.

“We got five (qualifiers), so it’s 50 percent. The others were new boxers and it’s good that we gave them the opportunity to experience competing at that level. Who knows? They might be there in (the 2028) Los Angeles (Olympics),’’ said Vargas.

POC president Abraham Tolentino and secretary general Atty. Wharton Chan joined Vargas and Abap president Robbie Puno in lifting the spirits of Paalam and Bacyaden at the sidelines during their final bouts.

Paalam fought his way through five bouts in seven days capped by three consecutive fights while Bacyadan survived all three opponents thrown her way.

The Paris-bound boxers will set up a training camp in France middle of this month before settling down at the Olympic village on July 22, just a few days before the start of their campaign.

“We have to do a little bit more grassroots as we need to find talents for the next generation of boxers,’’ said Vargas.

“But for now, I’m hoping we can get a gold for Abap,’’ he added.