THE Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) will get in touch with the handlers of undefeated pro boxer Weljon Mindoro regarding his possible inclusion in the national team to the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand next month.
ABAP secretary general Marcus Manalo said the federation is set to sit down with the camp of the 25-year-old Filipino middleweight led by his managers Gerry Balmes and Orly Barcelango.
“We will reach out. ABAP din naman naglagay sa kanya (Mindoro) in the long list,” said Manalo, referring to the long list of boxers the association forwarded to the Philippine Olympic Committee, which submitted the names by entry of the entire Philippine contingent to the SEA Games Organizing Committee.
Manalo added Mindoro already submitted a copy of his passport to ABAP, indicating his willingness to don the national colors for the first time.
In last week’s PSA Forum, the handlers of Mindoro said there’s no formal talks yet about Mindoro joining the boxing team to the biennial meet, although they don’t see any hindrance to their boxer becoming part of the huge 1,681 Filipino athletes to the SEA Games.
“Mas maganda kung maging pormal na lang yung pagmi-meeting diyan,” said Barcelango. “Kung mapag-mitingan ng maayos wala namang problema. Hindi namin ipagdadamot si Weljon dahil isang karangalan yun makapagsilbi para sa bayan.”
Mindoro's perfect record
Mindoro owns a perfect record of 15-0-1, with all of his wins coming by way of knockout.
If ever, he will be the third professional fighter to compete for the national boxing team in the SEA Games after Charly Suarez and Eumir Felix Marcial.
In a separate interview, POC president Bambol Tolentino disclosed Marcial, a bronze medalist in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was also included in the long list submitted to the SEAGOC, although the 30-year-old middleweight from Zamboanga is coming off a tough fight against Venezuelan Eddy Colmenares during the 50th anniversary celebration of the Thrilla in Manila, where he survived two knockdowns to eke out a majority decision at the Araneta Coliseum.
The boxing team won a total of four gold medals in the last edition of the SEA Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in 2023 courtesy of Olympic silver medalists Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio, Ian Clark Bautista, and Paul Bascon.
Meanwhile, Mindoro and his team are set to leave for Japan to continue his training and look for possible sparring partners.
The Filipino boxer once competed in the Batang Pinoy and Palarong Pambansa, where he won a bronze and silver medal, respectively.
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