New ABAP Discovery Brings Hope for SEAG Gold (via Quinito Henson- PhilStar)

Fil-Brits John Marvin

MANILA, Philippines - ABAP executive director Ed Picson said yesterday Fil-Brit boxer John Marvin, a late discovery from out of the blue, might just pull a surprise to win the gold medal in the lightheavyweight division at the coming SEA Games in Malaysia.

Picson said he received a blind e-mail from Marvin last May inquiring about fighting for the Philippines. “It came out of nowhere,” said Picson. “John wanted to fly over since he has a Philippine passport. He sent us videos of his fights. We had nothing to lose. I told him to pay his way to Manila and if he makes the team, we’ll reimburse his expenses. But John couldn’t raise the money so (ABAP president) Mr. (Ricky) Vargas decided to advance it.”

Picson said ABAP’s gamble paid off. “John’s easy to get along with,” he said. “He likes Filipino food, he doesn’t mind bunking with four or five guys in a room, he just wants an opportunity to box for the country. We considered one of our veterans Willie Lopez for the lightheavyweight slot but when they sparred, John got the better of him. He held his own and took Willie’s best shots. The coaching staff decided to go with John. He went with the team for training in China and he’s now getting a monthly allowance of P11,000 from the PSC as a member of the national pool.”