Three Olympic medallists are Philippines’ best hopes in the Asian Games

Team Philippines registered ten boxers to compete in the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China where the country has several favourites. All of their three Tokyo Olympic medallists as Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Felix Marcial will compete in the boxing event of the Asian Games.

Philippines is one of the boxing powers in the Asian Games, the country earned 15 gold, 10 silver and 31 bronze medals between 1954 and 2018. Philippines topped the medal table twice in boxing, in the 1954 Manila and in the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games.

The average age of their current team is 26.8 years which means this is the all-times most experienced boxing squad from the Philippines.

The Philippines made a remarkable competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games where their boxers earned two silver and one bronze medal. The boxers spent a lot of time in training camps in Australia and in India and Team Philippines competed successfully in the Southeast Asian Games this May.

Aira Villegas is a technician boxer who impressed in the 2022 Women’s World Boxing Championships and she has eight years of international experiences at the light flyweight (50kg). Irish Magno qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games and the 32-year-old boxer will compete in her new category, at the bantamweight (54kg) in Hangzhou.

Nesthy Petecio claimed a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics and a gold at the 2019 Women’s World Boxing Championships therefore she could be the ace of the female team in this Asian Games. The Thailand Open Tournament gold medallist Riza Pasuit registered to participate at the women’s lightweight (60kg).

The ASBC Asian U22 Champion Aaron Jude Bado is a new sensation at the men’s flyweight (51kg) and finally he has been selected to participate in this Asian Games. The Tokyo Olympic Games silver medallist and the ASBC Asian Champion Carlo Paalam moved up to the featherweight (57kg) and will be making his debut in this category in Hangzhou.

A former Southeast Asian Games winner, James Palicte was replaced by the Youth World Boxing Championships competitor 19-year-old Mark Fajardo at the light welterweight (63.5kg). Marjon Pianar was involved to the national team in 2019 and he is planning to make a breakthrough in the light middleweight (71kg).

The Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Eumir Felix Marcial is one of their top male stars who joined from the United States back to the training camps and he has high expectations at the light heavyweight (80kg). As many of the Filipino national team members, the Southeast Asian Games winner, UK-based John Nobel Marvin also moved up one category and he will be boxing at the heavyweight (92kg) from September 24.

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