Philippines' Nesthy Petecio celebrates after winning against India's Jaismine in the women's 57kg preliminaries round of 32 boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the North Paris Arena, in Villepinte on July 30, 2024. Mohd Rasfan, AFP/File
MANILA — The Philippine boxing team will lean on their "wealth of experience" in an effort to end the country's gold medal drought in the sport in the Asian Games.
The Philippines will send seven boxers to the Asiad in Nagoya, Japan, with Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (ABAP) president Marcus Manalo acknowledging that they have a "really tough task" ahead of them.
"The boxers know that," Manalo said at Tuesday's Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Philippine Sports Commission media room. "But I'm very excited for them."
In the lineup are four Olympic medalists led by Nesthy Petecio (60kg), Aira Villegas (51kg), Carlo Paalam (55 kg) and Eumir Marcial (80 kg). However, Marcial's participation is dependent on the result of his professional fight in Los Angeles on September 19 — two days away from the start of the boxing competitions in this Asian Games.
The three others who will carry the Philippine colors in the 20th edition of the Asiad are Riza Pasuit (54 kg), Junmilardo Ogayre (60 kg) and Norlan Petecio (70 kg).
Manalo is keeping his fingers crossed for Marcial, who was the lone Filipino boxer to win a medal in the last Asian Games in Hangzhou, China — a silver that also confirmed his participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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"We're hoping that he will be fit to box and fresh after his pro fight so he can fly straight from Los Angeles to Nagoya," he said.
Eumir Marcial takes the win against his Syrian opponent on October 4, 2023 during the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. PSC/POC Media pool handout/File
The other Filipino boxer who could take Marcial's place in the heavier division, Weljon Mindoro, was barred from competing in Nagoya after suffering a knockout loss to a Mexican opponent in a pro fight in California last week.
"We have our Olympic medalists but that could work for or against you because if you're a competitor 'yun ang gusto mo talunin eh. Pero ako, tataya pa din ako sa Olympic boxers," Manalo said.
The Filipino boxers underwent a two-week training camp in Thailand and were on their way to Nagoya last night for a shorter camp before the competitions begin on Sept. 21.
"It was a productive camp in Thailand with teams like China, Jordan, Chinese-Taipei and the host country. The Japan camp will be shorter. Some sparring and mostly to acclimatize na lang," added Manalo.
The Philippines has not won a boxing gold medal in the Asian Games since Rey Saludar topped the podium in Guangzhou in 2010, in the -52kg division.
Since then, Filipino boxers have brought home three silver and five bronze medals from the Asian Games.
"Zero gold na tayo in the past 16 years so maka-isa lang malaking bagay na to be at the top of the podium," said Manalo, noting that winning a gold in the Asian Games is as difficult as winning in the Olympics.
"If you look at the gold medalists in the Paris Olympics, 70 percent are from Asia. Yes, 70 percent," he said, referring to Uzbekistan with five golds, China with three and Chinese-Taipei with one, accounting for nine of the 13 golds at stake.
"Mahirap talaga," he said.