Highlights of the ASBC National Federations – Philippines earned 15 titles in the Asian Games

The Asian Boxing Confederation introduces the best moments of its affiliated Asian National Federations launching a new PR campaign, the Highlights of the ASBC National Federations. One of the Asian boxing powers, the Philippines earned five medals in the Olympic Games, two titles in the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships and 15 gold medals in the history of the Asian Games.

Philippines was one of the first Asian nations which attended in the boxing event of the Olympic Games, their debut has done in the Los Angeles 1932 edition. The Filipino boxers competed and qualified into 19 editions of the Olympic Games between 1932 and 2016. Since the qualification procedure has been established before the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, Philippines’ best boxers qualified to each of the Games to Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro.

Their peak presence in the Olympic Games was at the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games with six boxers which the country repeated in Seoul in 1988 and in Barcelona four years later. Philippines is a strong boxing power especially in the smaller weight categories but their boxers could not get any Olympic title yet. The Filipino boxers achieved altogether two silver and three bronze medals in the Olympic Games. Boxing is the most successful sport for the Philippines ahead of weightlifting, athletics and swimming.

Their first Olympic medallist was Jose Villanueva who claimed bronze at the bantamweight in the Los Angeles 1932 Olympic Games during the debut of the country. Anthony Villanueva advanced to the final of the featherweight at the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games but he was defeated by Soviet Union’s Stanislav Stepashkin. Philippines achieved three further medals at the light flyweight, Leopoldo Serrantes earned bronze in 1988, Roel Velasco also got the same result in 1992 followed by Mansueto Velasco’s silver medal in 1996.

Philippines impressed in the boxing events of the Asian Games, their boxers earned 15 gold, 10 silver and 31 bronze medals between 1954 and 2018. The Southeast Asian country is the rank No.5 in the overall medal table after South Korea, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Philippines topped the medal table twice in the Asian Games, first in Manila in 1954, second at the Hiroshima edition in 1994. Their last gold at the Asian Games was captured by Rey Saludar at the flyweight (52kg) in the Guangzhou 2010 edition.

Philippines competed first at the Southeast Asian Games in 1977 when their boxers claimed three gold medals. Besides to Thailand, Philippines is the next boxing power of the Southeast Asian region, their rivalry is the highlight of the Games. Philippines hosted the Southeast Asian Games in 1981, in 1991, in 2005 and in 2019. Their team achieved seven gold, three silver and two bronze medals in the last 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

Philippines earned two gold, two silver and seven bronze medals in the history of the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships. Their titles were taken by Josie Gabuco in 2012 and Nesthy Petecio in the last Ulan-Ude edition in 2019. The Filipino male boxers earned altogether six medals in the AIBA Men’s Elite World Boxing Championships including three silver and three bronze. Their Tokyo Olympian star Eumir Felix Marcial bagged a silver medal in the last Yekaterinburg 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships.

Manila hosted the 1970 Asian Boxing Championships and another city, Puerto Princesa welcomed the boxers at the 2004 edition which was a qualification event. Subic Bay was the host of the 2013 ASBC Asian Youth Boxing Championships, while the 2017 ASBC Asian Junior Boxing Championships organized by the city of Puerto Princesa in Palawan island. Their last ASBC Asian Boxing Championships title was achieved by Josie Gabuco at the Bangkok 2019 edition.

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