PICSON REPLACES VARGAS AS ABAP PRESIDENT

The changing of the guards

 

CEBU CITY — Broadcaster-turned sports leader Ed Picson was elected as new president of the Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (ABAP) during the online General Assembly held this afternoon via Zoom Meeting.

At the same time, Cebuano businessman/sportsman Lorenzo “Chao” Sy retained his position as member of the Board of Trustees representing Central Visayas along with the other attendees from Baguio to key cities in Mindanao that includes Cagayan de Oro City and Davao City

Elected along with Picson was his predecessor Ricky Vargas who was elected a new chairman and Deputy Speaker Robbie Pono who was elected vice-president while Rep. Raul Daza of Eastern Visayas stay as the vice-chairman. He was also presiding over the meeting in the absence of Manny V. Pangilinan.

The “shake up” came as surprise since everybody thought Vargas would stay as the Philippine boxing NSA head for the next three years.

Even Daza himself was befuddled as he declared Vargas as president instead of the Picson that created a brief raucous in the room.

It took the clarification of Vargas to change the mindset of the congressman from Catarman, Northern Samar. It was Vargas himself who nominated Picson to be his successor as the nomination was closed a minute after it was opened.

“My sincerest congratulations to Ed Picson. I have no idea about the plan ABAP Manila. All the while I thought that Vargas will stay as our president. But he (Vargas) himself nominated Picson so they must have planned for it already,” Sy told iNews.PH.

As a gift to ABAP Vargas, who is also the head of the Business Transformation Group of PLDT, announced that PLDT/Smart will revive the grassroots competitions nationwide to discover new talents while the MVP Sports Foundation (MVPSF)  will continue to give funds fo the training of the elite boxers.

To capitulate Vargas’ legacy as the chief of amateur boxing in the country, Picson who acted as secretary-general and executive director of ABAP since 2016, highlighted the two silver medals and a bronze medal that were won by Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio, and Eumir Marcial respectively in Tokyo Olympics, as a testament of the outstanding performance of ABAP in years.

But the job is not yet done, the Olympic gold medal for boxing is still elusive and the task to win that slippery gilt now lies on the shoulders of Picson.

Also present during the virtual meeting was Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) representative Deputy Secretary-General Karen Tanchanco-Caballero. RCM