BOXING will continue to be a source of pride for the Philippines as officials and athletes from the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) celebrate the sport’s reinstatement in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, USA.
ABAP president Rep. Robbie Puno emphasized that the nation’s pursuit of its first Olympic gold in boxing remains strong.
“We welcome the IOC’s decision to keep boxing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Boxing has always been a cornerstone of Philippine sports, with our athletes proving their excellence on the global stage. This decision gives them another opportunity to chase that elusive Olympic gold, and we know many of them are eager and determined to seize it,” Puno said.
Two-time Olympic medalist Nesthy Petecio, who bagged a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and a bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics, expressed her gratitude for the sport’s return to the Olympic roster.
“This is incredible news for the Philippine National Boxing Team. Finally! It’s official—boxing is part of the LA28 Olympics. Thank you to the IOC and everyone who fought to keep boxing in the Games,” Petecio said.
“As an Olympian with silver and bronze medals, this gives me another chance to complete the set and continue fighting for the Philippines, my family, and my dreams. I’m even more excited for the younger athletes who now have the chance to pursue their Olympic aspirations. This is truly inspiring. Once again, thank you to the IOC and everyone who made this possible for LA28,” she added.
Fellow Olympians Carlo Paalam, a silver medalist from Tokyo 2020, and Aira Villegas, a bronze medalist from Paris 2024, also expressed their enthusiasm.
“I’m thrilled by this news because it means more athletes worldwide will get the opportunity to compete. For me, it’s a challenge since new talents will emerge from different countries. I’m grateful to those who worked hard to bring boxing back to the Olympics. Let’s continue dreaming of that gold medal,” Paalam said.
Villegas echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the renewed motivation for Filipino boxers to train harder.
“This inspires us to work even harder in training. I’m beyond happy with this news,” she said.
Initially, boxing was excluded from the Olympic program when the schedule was announced in 2022.
However, following the formation of a new governing body, World Boxing (WB), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) unanimously voted to reinstate the sport for the XXXIV Olympiad.
Vargas, who was elected to the WB Executive Board in November 2023 and recently appointed as Chef de Mission for Team Philippines at the 2028 Olympics, sees the reinstatement as a turning point for the sport and the country’s boxing program.
“We congratulate World Boxing for receiving recognition from the International Federation (IF) for boxing by the IOC. The Philippines, through ABAP, is a founding member and holds a position on the WB Board. This recognition offers an opportunity for WB to address past wrongs, which we have fought hard to rectify,” Vargas said.