Philippine Sports News and Updates

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Sports Commission has put premium in a sport where the country has the strongest chance of winning a gold medal in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games this November – boxing.

PSC chair Harry Angping yesterday disclosed he will pour P8 million to fund the national men and women boxers’ training in the next 10 months leading to the quadrennial event where the country hopes to win two to three gold medals.

“I’ve talked to Ricky Vargas and we’ve talked about their program. And from our assessment, there is a strong chance of winning two or three gold medals in Guangzhou,” said Angping after meeting with Vargas, the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines president, last Wednesday.

The PSC will actually need P6 million for the monthly allowances of all national team members and to finance their stints abroad.

At the same time, Angping said he also expects bowling, chess, dragon boat, track and field, billiards and taekwondo to deliver in Guangzhou.

“From the looks of it, we’re now gaining progress and the 10 gold medals we’ve earlier predicted will now be achievable,” he said.

Angping added he didn’t classify an elite athlete in boxing so as to distribute the funds to the rest of the team.

The ABAP has submitted around 40 names in its national pool although it has retired 12 boxers, including former World Championship medalists Harry Tanamor and Mitchell Martinez.

“I believe in their program, ABAP should be emulated,” said Angping, a former NSA (national sports association) president himself.

Expected to lead boxing’s golden quest is flyweight Annie Albania, a multiple Southeast Asian Games gold medalist.

• Philstar