ABAP upbeat on SEA Games Medal Chances
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 05 Nov 2011
The replacement of the injured Joan Tipon and Rolando Tacuyan by Southeast Asian Games neophytes Junel Cantancio and Dennis Galvan does not seriously affect the national boxing team?s campaign to improve on their predecessor?s medal haul two years ago in Laos.
This was the assessment made by head coach Pat Gaspi on the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines? (ABAP) decision to field in Cantancio, a bantamweight, in place of veteran internationalist Tipon and Galvan, who is fighting as a lightweight, in place of Tacuyan.
?Like their old teammates, both Junel and Dennis are 100 percent fit san any injury or sickness, and, therefore, able replacements for Joan, who has been complaining of recurring shoulder injury and Tacuyan, who has yet to recover from his bout with flu,? Gaspi said during Friday?s SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session at the Kamayan Restaurant-Padre Faura.
Cantancio, a nephew of former Asian champion Leopoldo Canancio, and Galvan, had replaced the embattled duo last week and will be joining light-flyweight and Olympic qualifier Mark Anthony Barriga, flyweight Rey Saludar, featherweight Charly Suarez and welterweight Delfin Boholst in the men?s team to Palembang, site of the boxing tournament.
The Nationals, according to Gaspi, will be aiming to improve on the 2009 squad?s 5-1-3 gold-silver-bronze medal harvest in Laos.
Three of the Filipino fighters? gold-medal victors in Laos are still with the team ? Suarez and pinweight Josie Gabuco and light-fly Alice Appari in the distaff side.
Bill Vicera, who topped the men?s pin weight division, has retired, while Annie Albania, who ruled the women?s flyweight gold, had, for still unknown reasons, been ousted from the team after last year?s Asian Games where he ended up with the silver medal in her category.
Olympian Harry Tanamor likewise, has retired as well as now women? team assistant coach Mitchel Martinez, a bronze medalist the last time around. Joegin Landon, another bronze medal owner, is still with the national pool but was not named to the official lineup.
?Sa tingin nga parang nabawasan ng lakas because of the non-inclusion of the other Laos medalists, pero mas bumata ang team at siyempre, natakpan na yung nawala,? Gaspi said.
?Suarez, Gabuco and Aparri, I believe are experienced enough to repeat their Laos wins, while Cantancio and Galvan, although first timers sa SEA Games, have been in a few international competitions where they had made their marks,? Gaspi said, drawing concurrence from women?s mentor Roel Velasco.
Cantancio was a silver medalist in a Thailand competition in 2007 besides bagging a bronze in the Chinese Invitational championships in Nanning,? Velasco, a bronze medal winner in the 1992 Olympic Games, butted in. He is also coming fresh from a training stint in Sheffield, England.?
?Galvan, on the other hand, had just represented the country in the Sadney Jackson Memorial championships in in Uzbekhiztan and like Cantancio,trained, too, in Sheffield.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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