
PLDT-ABAP NATIONAL TOURNEY SET ON FEB 17-23 IN MAASIN CITY
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 19 Jan 2013

MAASIN CITY, SOUTHERN LEYTE - The Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) together with the City of Maasin, Southern Leyte has finalized the schedule for the PLDT-ABAP National Championships on February 17-23, 2013 at the Maasin City Gymnasium.  ABAP Executive Director Ed Picson was here last Thursday to firm up preparations for the biggest annual national amateur boxing tournament.
This writer discussed with him the billeting hotels, boxing venue, equipments, transportation facilities, meals, officiating, media coverage and other matters related to the hosting of the big event.   We also discussed the possibility of holding the ABAP national board elections in time for the semi-finals of the national championships on February 22.   
Expected to grace the occasion are Manny V. Pangilinan, ABAP Chairman, Ricky Vargas, ABAP President, Patrick Gregorio, ABAP Secretary-General, and other boxing bigwigs.   The proposed venue of the national board meeting is Caf? Romana at Villa Romana Hotel in Maasin City.  
Picson was accompanied by international referee-judge Jesus San Esteban, Jr. who was appointed by AIBA as an official to the World Youth Championships in Armenia.  A close friend of Picson, Mayor Boy Mortera of San Juan, Southern Leyte escorted then also.   After the meeting they paid a courtesy call on Governor Damian Mercado.   
Maasin City is accessible by the delegations from Mindanao by land transportation through Surigao City and a ferry to Benit Port, San Ricardo, Southern Leyte which will take only an hour of sea voyage.  They could also ride a boat from Surigao City direct to Maasin.  
From Luzon, the access by land is Matnog, Sorsogon then ferry for more than an hour to Allen, Northern Samar. Plane transportation will be via Tacloban City. Boats could be reached directly from Cebu City to Maasin port or via Hilongos, Leyte or Ormoc City.
Picson has been named Best Asian National Federation Executive Director of 2012 by the Asian Boxing Confederation (ASBC).  ASBC president Gofur Rakhimov of Uzbekistan said Picson was chosen from among ?several nominations who played a leading role in our common success,? as reported by journal.com.ph.  
 Added Rakhimov, vice president of the Olympic Council of Asia wrote to ABAP: ?I have the honour to inform you that your candidature has been chosen by the ASBC Executive Committee. Moreover, it has been unanimously approved by the Executive Committee Members of ASBC. We are proud to have such a devoted and successful National  Federation  executive director like you in Asia.?
 Aziz Kozhambetov, ASBC executive director, in a separate communication said: ?Frankly speaking, 99% of the votes of all the ASBC EC members were yours.?
Meanwhile the PLDT-ABAP National Capital Region-Luzon Area tournament will be held on January 22-26, 2012.  The Capitol Grounds in Iba, Zambales, in cooperation with the provincial government led by Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., will be the venue of the NCR-Luzon elimination.  The winners will join the qualifiers of the other regional tournaments held in Bago City for the Visayas and General Santos City fir Mindanao.
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