After thirteen members of the national boxing team were moved out of Baguio City and made their way to Manila last Wednesday, plans to resume their training via online sessions are now in the works.
Executive director Ed Picson of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines said this following the completion of tests on the national squad for the presence of COVID-19.
Picson said their training session will resume virtually once they have returned to their respective provinces.
These training sessions are now being worked on by Australian consultant Don Abnett and members of the national coaching staff, which is headed by Ronald Chavez.
The PSC sent national athletes back to their home provinces and is finalizing its plans to disinfect training venues.
The disinfection procedures on athletes’ quarters and facilities are being done in preparation for their return to training inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
“Most of them are taking up the offer of the PSC to bring them home. Most of them were not home during the holidays,” said Picson.
He said the national athletes under their care were not able to go home during the holidays because they were preparing for the Olympic qualifiers in Amman, Jordan.
“Sa kabutihang palad, may nag-qualify. But we should not lose track of the fact that we have others boxers apart from Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno who have still chances to qualify,” said Picson.
Among the boxers who went to Manila are Carlo Paalam (light flyweight, 49 kg), Rogen Ladon (flyweight, 52 kg), Ian Clark Bautista (bantamweight, 56 kg) , Charly Suarez (lightweight, 60 kg), James Palicte (light welterweight, 64 kg), Joel Bacho (welterweight, 69 kg) and John Tupas-Marvin (light heavyweight, 81 kg).
The women include Josie Gabuco (light flyweight, 48 kg), Irish Magno (flyweight, 48 kg), Aira Villegas (bantamweight, 54 kg), Nesthy Petecio (featherweight, 57 kg) and Risa Pasuit (lightweight, 60 kg).
One of the athletes who got a positive result while undergoing tests has been asked to stay behind as part of the Baguio City Local Government Unit’s protocol.
He is expected to join his teammates in a few days.
The athlete got a positive result while undergoing rapid testing, but a second exam done through swabbing yielded a negative outcome.
