Rogen Ladon and Charly Suarez are Philippines’ medal hopefuls in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Philippines has got great tradition in our beloved combat sport and the country is always there in the big competitions with medal hopes. AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Rogen Ladon and Incheon 2014 Asian Games silver medallist Charly Suarez are their chances for the medal hunting in the upcoming Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Philippines hosted the ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships in professional environment in Subic Bay on March 2013 when the country achieved four gold medals and many of those talents such as Ian Clark Bautista, James Palicte and Eumir Felix Marcial joined to the national elite team in the recent years.
Philippines had only one boxer Mark Anthony Barriga in the London 2012 Olympic Games but their team was stronger in the current qualification events for Rio and finally they took two spots for Rio. Philippines’ best category is the Light Flyweight class (49 kg) where the country acquired the best successes in the recent decades.
Rogen Ladon quickly adopted the level of the world class boxers and replaced London 2012 Olympian Mark Anthony Barriga in the national squad. He competed in the 2013 ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships at the very first time in the national team but he reached his career highlights in the recent 12 months. Firstly Ladon claimed silver at the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Bangkok, secondly he was enough strong to get bronze at the Doha 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships. The 23-year-old boxer qualified from the AIBA Asian & Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event and he is among the medal contenders at the Light Flyweight class (49 kg).
Philippines’ second Olympic quota was achieved by Charly Suarez who is member of the national team since 2009 and had a lot of experiences from the AIBA Pro Boxing as well. The Filipino boxer was near to get a spot for the London 2012 Olympic Games but his silver in the AIBA Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Astana was not enough to realize his dreams. Suarez was in excellent form in the Incheon 2014 Asian Games from where he delivered a valuable silver medal. The 28-year-old Lightweight class (60 kg) boxer was also runner-up in the AIBA Asian & Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event in Qian’an where he earned his quota place for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Philippines’ great future hope AIBA World Boxing Championships quarter-finalist and ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships silver medallist 20-year-old Eumir Felix Marcial was also near to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games but he suffered an injury during the AIBA Asian & Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event in Qian’an and could not do his very best in the semi-final and in the Box-off.
Their another great hope Incheon 2014 Asian Games bronze medallist and Southeast Asian Games winner Mark Fernandez also could not travel to the World Olympic Qualification Event due his injury while ASBC Asian Youth Champion Ian Clark Bautista was also not healthy by the time of the AIBA Asian & Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event.