MANILA—There won’t be a defending champion for Team Philippines in next month’s Asian Games.
All four gold medalists in the Doha edition four years ago fail to make it to the RP roster in Guangzhou for different reasons.
Boxers Violito Payla and Joan Tipon, who both hacked out sensational wins in the flyweight and bantamweight divisions, respectively, for the gold in Doha, were replaced with new talents in the RP lineup.
Nine-ball singles champion Antonio Gabica, also a silver medalist in the 8-ball singles, missed the chance to defend his crown after he reportedly took on a lucrative coaching job in the Qatari capital early this year.
The Guangzhou Asiad organizers scrapped wushu artist Rene Catalan’s 52 kg sanshou event.
Charly Suarez (featherweight) and Rey Saludar (flyweight) will spearhead the six-man boxing team, along with lone female entry Annie Albania.
Boxing has been a traditional gold mine for the country in the Asiad with three golds through Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco, Reynaldo Galido and Elias Recaidoin the 1994 Hiroshima Games.
The rest of the boxing team are Victorino Saludar III, Delfin Boholst and Wilfredo Lopez.
Billiards will again lean on a 14-man squad led by playing coach Efren “Bata” Reyes.
Wushu will place its hope on SEA Games champs Eduard Folayang, Benjie Rivera, Mariane Mariano, Mary Jane Estimar, Mark Eddiva, Daniel Parantac and Denver Labador.
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