Thirteen members of the national boxing team have returned to Manila yesterday from their training camp in Baguio City to undergo further tests for the presence of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Officials of the Philippine Sports Commission said the tests are being done as a preventive measure.
While one of the athletes, a national boxer, got a positive result while undergoing rapid testing, a second exam done through swabbing yielded a negative outcome.
The boxers will be brought to the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, which is currently a quarantine facility for COVID-19 patients.
“Everybody tested negative. So there’s no one positive,” said National Training Director Marc Velasco, who is monitoring the tests done on national athletes.
The government sports agency is planning to send many national athletes back to their home provinces as the PSC finalizes plans for venues that are under its care to undergo disinfection.
The disinfection procedures on athletes’ quarters and facilities are being done in preparation for their return to outdoor training, said Velasco.
There are around 35 athletes that are being cared for by the PSC at the moment, including 22 that are still housed at the Philsports Pasig venue after getting stranded by travel restrictions because of the lockdown.
The 22 have already undergone COVID-19 tests.
Among the boxers who went down to Manila are Carlo Paalam (light flyweight, 49 kg), Rogen Ladon (flyweight, 52 kg), Ian Clark Bautista (bantamweight, 56 kg), Charly Suarez (lightweight, 60 kg), James Palicte (light welterweight, 64 kg), Joel Bacho (welterweight, 69 kg) and John Tupas-Marvin (light heavyweight, 81 kg).
In the women’s side, it’s Josie Gabuco (light flyweight, 48 kg), Irish Magno (flyweight, 48 kg), Aira Villegas (bantamweight, 54 kg), Nesthy Petecio (featherweight, 57 kg) and Risa Pasuit (lightweight, 60 kg).
Meanwhile, Commissioner Ramon Fernandez heaved a sigh of relief on the outcome of the tests done on athletes in Baguio.
“The athlete was negative on the second test, which was more accurate. But all the athletes will be tested again for a second time,” added Fernandez.