IRISH MAGNO isn’t going elsewhere outside the country for now, but the Tokyo Olympics-bound boxer would still get world-class pointers—and even punches—from a world champion trainer.
Josie Gabuco, the Philippines’s first women’s world champion in 2012 in Quinhuangdao in China, will keep an eye on Magno’s training, alongside the other Olympic hopefuls, at the Inspire Sports Academy bubble in Calamba.
“I know Irish as a very dedicated fighter and this Olympic stint means a lot to her,” Gabuco said. “With the help of our coaches and their expertise, I’m so confident Irish will be successful in Tokyo.”
The country’s other Tokyo qualifier, men’s middleweight Eumir Felix Marcial, has turned pro and is honing for the Olympics under a world-class team led by Hall of Famer Freddie Roach at the world renowned Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California.
Magno won’t get that professional handling, but with Gabuco, she expects to be as sharp and fearsome come the Olympics set from July 23 to August 8.
Peeking into Gabuco’s résumé, take these: five-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist (2009 and 2011 as a pinweight, 2013, 2015 and 2019 as a light flyweight). The 33-year-old said she’s not done yet and will be defending her gold in the Hanoi SEA Games this November.
Gabuco said she would do everything to help Magno, who earned her ticket to Tokyo as a flyweight at last year’s qualifiers in Amman, Jordan.
“Our preparation is very important because Irish’s victory will be the victory of the entire team,” said Gabuco, whose weight division is not on the Tokyo program. “We will follow the instructions of our coaches to be more successful and that’s the key.
While the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) led by Nolito “Boy” Velasco are drawing strategies, Gabuco’s task is to be a vicious sparring partner for Magno.
“I’ll give her pain,” Gabuco joked.
But sparring would come later in the Laguna bubble, where the boxers are honing for Tokyo alongside their fellow hopefuls in karatedo and taekwondo.
“There’s no sparring for the boxers for now because we are concentrating more on conditioning and getting their minds and bodies back in fighting shape,” Velasco said. “The more than eight months of lockdown slowed them down.”
The other female Olympic hopefuls in the bubble are women’s featherweight world champion Nesthy Petecio, featherweight Aira Villegas and lightweights Quesedian Riza Pasuit and Analene Cellon.
The ABAP also have 10 hopefuls in the men’s division—Rogen Ladon (52 kg), Carlo Paalam (52 kg), Marvin Tabamo (52 kg), Ian Clark Bautista (56 kg), Junilardo Ogayre (56kg), James Palicte (63kg), John Paul Panuayan (60kg), Mario Fernandez (56kg), Marjon Pianan (69kg) and Samuel de la Cruz (64kg).
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