A SIX-MEMBER boxing team will fly to Athens to participate in the 26th International Boxing Tournament Acropolis Men’s and Women’s Invitational Cup set from June 15 to 20 at the Panathenaic Stadium in the Greek capital.
Hergie Bacyadan was disappointed for missing the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi because her weight category in women’s boxing was scrapped by the host because of lack of participants.
The 27-year-old fighter from Kalinga Apayao has moved on and is excited on her Athens stint.
“I am hoping to finally fight there after failing to see action in the SEA Games,” Bacyadan, a former sanda fighter in wushu, told BusinessMirror on Thursday.
Bacyadan said she wasn’t able to fight in Hanoi because only two boxers were entered in the 69-kg weight class.
Olympic silver medalist Carlo Paalam, who gave way to eventual gold medalist Rogen Ladon in the SEA Games, will be fighting in Athens.
The other members of the team are Hanoi SEA Games women’s lightweight bronze medalist Risa Pasuit, world championship veteran Aira Villegas (bantamweight), John Paul Panuayan (men’s light welterweight) and Mario Fernandez (featherweight).
Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines training director Don Abnett said that the Athens tournament is aimed at keeping the boxers in top shape.
“It’s a strong tournament where we need to enhance our boxers’ skills,” Abnett said.
Filipino boxers earned three gold medals—Ladon, Ian Clark Bautista and Eumir Felix Marcial—one silver—Tokyo Olympian bet Irish Magno—and five bronze medals in the Hanoi SEA Games’recent biennial meet.