KICKBOXING AND VOVINAM CHAMPIONS SHIFT TO BOXING, EYE PARIS OLYMPICS SLOT

January 13, 2024 Community Billboard Sports

BAGUIO CITY

Two athletes from the Cordilleras will transition to another event and away from the sport they earned medals in international events when they start training with the Philippine boxing team this
weekend Down Under. Kalinga pride Hergielyn Bayacdan and Claudine Veloso are seeking slots for the Paris Olympics in August. Bacyadan won a silver in vovinam in the last Southeast Asian Games May last year then took the gold in the 7th World Vovinam Championship in November also last year where she was marred in a controversy when the Russians questioned whether she is a male or female.

Vacyadan started her international stint in the 8th Sanda World Cup in 2016 where she won a silver in the 65 kilogram. In 2022, she joined the Philippine boxing team as the team won a bronze medal in the ASBC Asian Elite Men and Women Boxing Championship in Amman, Jordan. “I will do everything, that is my goal in Paris,” Bacyadan was quoted as saying in national dailies. Joining her with the nationals quad during training last weekend at the Association of Boxing Alliances of the
Philippines gym inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila was Veloso who was initially with the ABAP’s Team B before getting involved with mixed martial arts in Baguio where she used to train with Team Lakay until moving to the Landslide Gym of Eduard Folayang.

Veloso will compete in women’s bantamweight while Bacyadan in the middleweight class. Tomorrow, the two will join the Tokyo silver medalists Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio led national boxing teamat a training camp in Australia. The camp include Rogen Ladon in the 51 kgs., Mark Ashley Fajardo and Paul Julyfer Bascon (63.5 kg), Ronald Chavez Jr. and Marjon Piañar
(71kg) and 92 kg – John Nobel Marvin, 50 kg – Aira Villegas, 60 kg – Riza Pasuit. The Tacloban born Villegas, like Veloso is from the University of Baguio, and Pasuit is also a Cordilleran. Eumir Marcial has already qualified for the Olympics after winning a silver in the Hangzhou Asian Games in October last year as he tries to improve on his bronze medal finish in the last Olympics.

Pigeon Lobien/ABN