MANILA — “The main objective remains — to win a gold medal in the Paris Olympics.”

This is what newly appointed Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) president Deputy Speaker Robbie Puno emphasized in an interview with former PBA Commissioner Noli Eala’s Power & Play podcast on Saturday.

Puno added that with the pool of fighters that they have at present, they are in a good position to improve upon the two silvers and a bronze that they got in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

“I looked at the boxers that we have, mukhang this is as good of a chance that we could get a gold medal,” said Puno, who came in place of the departed Ed Picson.

• Broadcaster, boxing exec Ed Picson passes away

To do so, they must first be successful in qualifying for the Paris Games. This is not too far-fetched, as shown by their successful campaign in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games last May.

“In the SEA Games last May, there were 15 weight categories and we participated in nine [of them] for the male. For five [categories] in the women, we competed in three. We got medals in the women’s, and sa lalaki, out of the nine, seven ang [nanalo],” Puno shared.

This puts them in a good position as they look to qualify for next year’s Summer Games by being successful in the Asian Games in September later this year.

“Sa Olympics, six categories for male and seven categories for women. For the Asian Games, the women, they need to win bronze para makapag-qualify for the Olympics. Sa mga lalaki, they have to win silver or gold in order for them to qualify,” he explained.

In addition to this, Puno revealed that there are also qualifying tournaments that will follow in case they miss out on booking an Olympic ticket through the Asiad.

“After the Asian Games, may mga world qualifying tournaments, kung hindi makapasok, we’ll try to [qualify there], but it’s harder to do that,” Puno shared.

“So the challenge is mag-qualify na sa September.”

Among the boxers who will represent the Philippines are Tokyo silver medalists Nesty Petecio and Carlo Paalam, and Tokyo bronze medalist Eumir Marcial, who skipped the SEAG after an injury, will also compete in China for the Asiad.

“Eumir Marcial is scheduled to come back for the Asian Games in the 80 kg weight division, which means si John Marvin, who won a silver in the SEA Games, we have to move him up to 92 kg,” Puno revealed.

Puno also shared that their pool of boxers, who stay at their camp in Baguio, will also be sparring against Indian and Australian boxers as they prepare for the Asian Games

They are also scheduled for a Multi-nation training camp in India on July 28-August 6, and another camp on August 6-August 20 at the Inspire Institute of Sports India.

In addition, Puno said that they will fly to China weeks before the actual games for yet another training camp.

And aside from the preparations for the incoming tournaments, Puno also bared some long-term plans for their boxers and the whole association.

“We’re going to do grassroots tournaments,” he said. “[We’ll] Increase the accredited officials that we have. We have forty accredited officials, and primarily, they are teachers from DepEd, part-time as referees, so kailangan nating damihan yan,” he continued.

Education is also one of Puno’s concerns.

“Gusto nating i-develop the objective of having these athletes complete their schooling, so that even after boxing, ma-develop nila ang buhay nila at mga pamilya nila.”