ABAP Grassroots Program Targetting 2032 Brisbane Olympics -- Abnett
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 02 Sep 2024
You don't fix what ain't broke.
That seems to be what ABAP consultant Don Abnett is saying in a recent radio interview as the ABAP, he said, is reviving its grassroots development program next year with an eye on the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
This means ABAP will again be relying on its current elite national pool of boxers which had delivered five medals in the last two Olympics for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, assuming boxing will be retained as a regular event.
Which makes sense as the secret of continued success of top Olympics boxing countries, as Cuba and Uzbekistan, has been their ability to reuse their boxers who did very well in their previous stints.
Uzbekistan returned previous gold medalists flyweight Hassanboy Dusmatov and super heavyweight BakhodirJalolov, both pros, to anchor a five gold medal harvest. Cuba just had a gold thru lightweight Erislandy Alvarez and a bronze by Arlen Lopez who was unseated at light heavyweight by a former Marcial middleweight rival, after failing to return Tokyo gold medalists heavyweight Julio La Cruz and lightweight Andy Cruz.
Cuba was constrained in the Paris Olympics by the sudden change in the boxing divisions and the decision of certain top boxers to turn pro and concentrate on being such. That was almost like our problem except that it was more the change in weight classification as what hounded Carlo Paalam and Eumir Marcial, diminishing their chances for podium finish as they did three years before in Tokyo.
According to Abnett, there is a chance that Paalam's and Marcial's former weight divisions may be reinstated in the LA Games should boxing is retained as Olympic event improving their odds for another medal finish should the two again qualify.
Abnett said due to the shorter preparation between the two previous Olympics, ABAP was constrained to rely in Paris on its elite pool of fighters and delay its grassroots development program.
But notwithstanding a revitalized national development program, the possibility is high that Paalam, and Marcial will once again lead the national team to compete in Los Angeles. Paalam and Marcial will only be in their early 30s by the next Olympics which could make them still viable with better maturity and richer experience.
However Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegaa will be in their mid 30s. This is where the younger members of the national pool will have to step up.
The current 45-members national pool has enough to produce potential qualifiers and medalists for the LA Olympics but the planned grassroot program is still needed not only to discover and develop new talents to replenish the pool and ready the country for the Bisbane 2032 Olympics and major international boxing tournaments to come.
It took us more than five years to develop the likes of Petecio, Marcial, Paalam and Villegas into what they are now.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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