PSA hails ABAP as National Sports Association of the Year

Nesthy Petecio’s (right) winning moment during the AIBA tilt (Asian Boxing Federation)

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

After months of thorough deliberation, the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) will be awarding the National Sports Association of the Year Award to the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) in the PSA Annual Awards Night.

Consisting of different boxers representing the PH in various international tournaments, the sluggers from ABAP owned 2019 as they delivered medals from the start of the year to the end.

At the forefront of the prestigious sports association is Nesthy Petecio, who led the PH boxers to a gold medal finish in the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships held in Russia after beating the hometown bet in front of a hostile crowd.

Also, Josie Gabuco, another boxer from ABAP, brought another gold medal for the PH in the Asian Boxing Confederation (ASBC) Elite Boxing Championships held in Bangkok, Thailand.

Meanwhile, Felix Eumir Marcial, settled for a silver medal finish in the same tournament in the men’s division and became the third Filipino who finished runner-up honors in the prized tournament.

Petecio, Gabuco, and Marcial will be leading ABAP the day they will receive their prestigious award in the PSA Annual Awards Night.