Robbie Puno named new ABAP President following Picson’s untimely death

 

EDCASTER signing off. Ed Picson was a notable sports commentator in the Philippines before he devoted his time serving for the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines in 2008. From an Executive Director, Picson rose to the presidency of the amateur boxing body in 2021. Before his election as president, Picson, who was then the concurrent Secretary General and Executive Director of ABAP has delivered the best finish of Philippine Boxing in Olympics when Carlo Paalam, Nesthy Petecio won silver medals each and Felix Eumir Marcial contributed a bronze in Tokyo Olympics. (Photo from Ed Picson’s Facebook account)

 

 

 

CEBU City, Philippines – The Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) called an emergency meeting a day after the untimely death of the late president Ed Picson who passed away last Wednesday, April 19.

 

Picson who was elected ABAP president in December 2021, shortly after the Tokyo Olympics succumb to liver cancer. He was 69 at the time of his death and he left behind his wife Karina and two daughters.

 

A day after Picson’s passing, ABAP chairman Ricky Vargas called an emergency board meeting via Zoom Meeting to fill the permanent void which was left by the former media and television personality.

 

“It was with a heavy heart that we must elect a replacement for Ed Picson, who left us all behind permanently. Normally, we do it by succession, but ABAP by-laws calls for an immediate election within 30 days to fill a permanent vacancy. Ed Picson has served ABAP very well and devoted his life to our boxers and make them world class and undoubtedly a force to reckon with in international arena,” explained Deputy Chairman Raul Daza of Leyte, who is also the regional president for Eastern Visayas, after taking over as presiding officer, after Vargas gave him the floor.

 

Aside from Vargas and Daza, ABAP Secretary General and Executive Director Marcus Manalo was also present in the meeting along with the representatives from Central Visayas Lorenzo “Chao’ Sy, Liberato Reyna of Region 1, Cong. Robbie Puno of Region 4A and concurrent vice president, Nonong Verdeflor of Western Visayas, Oscar Moreno of Region 10, Referee & Judges commissioner representative Ludy Therese Ceriales, Coaches representative Pat Gaspe and Athletes representative Josie Gabuco as well as the Philippine Olympic Committee Deputy Secretary General Karen Caballero were present in the meeting

 

While Vargas delivered a beautifully crafted and tear-jerking eulogy that best described Picson’s work as the man in-charge of ABAP affairs as an executive director since the MVP group replaced the leadership of Manny Lopez in 2008.

 

“Philippine boxing has lost a very valuable leader. Ed Picson is not just a white-collar president; he is a working president. He is very visible. And he always reminded us, regional representatives to work on our grassroots programs, and discover talents for the national pool,” ABAP Central Visayas Regional President Lorenzo Sy told www.iNews.Ph.

 

Picson’s remains lie in state at Aeternitas Chapel and Columbarium in Commonwealth, Quezon City. Inurnment is scheduled on April 24.

 

Meanwhile, Puno was uncontested to replace Picson. He was nominated to the office by no less of Vargas himself, to serve the remainder of Picson’s term, which ends after the Paris Olympics next year.

 

CONGRESSMAN Robbie Puno of Antipolo, took his oath of office after he was unanimously voted to replace Ed Picson as president of the Association of Boxing Alliance in the Philippines (ABAP). Puno was elected vice-president in December 2021 election, has promised to continue working for the best of the Philippine boxing. (Photo courtesy of Lorenzo Sy)

 

His first order of business was to meet the Philippine national team in their training camp in Baguio.

 

However, that meeting might put on hold for a little while as the bulk of the elite team, the 8-man elite team is currently in Shymkent, Kazakhstan for an 11-day training camp in preparation for the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Camboadia next month. RCM