MANILA – Undefeated professional boxers Eumir Marcial and Weljon Mindoro, as well as Olympic medalists Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas, will lead the Philippine team for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand next month.
The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (ABAP) revealed the 13-strong roster in a press conference in Pasig City on Wednesday.
"We have a total of 13 boxers, seven men and six women. Yun din yung maximum number na pwede nating salihan sa SEA Games so we are sending a full lineup," ABAP Secretary General Marcus Manalo said.
Four-time SEA Games gold medalist Marcial will be competing in his Olympic weight division in the men's 80kg division, while Mindoro will be fighting in the men's 75kg division.
Marcial boasts of a 7-0 record, while Mindoro has a 15-0-1 slate in pro boxing.
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"Always ko sinasabi sa mga nagtatanong sa akin, kapag bayan na yung nangangailangan ng laban lalo ito sa SEA Games, talagang isa sa mga priority ko yun," Marcial said.
"Medyo pressure konti kasi for sure yung mga tao, yung mga boxing fans nag-eexpect for sure gold medal na. Pero dito sa SEA Games, sa amateur, iba yung preparation namin ngayon," he added.
As for Mindoro, he relishes the opportunity to represent the country in the regional showcase.
"Nagpapasalamat ako sa opportunity na binigay nila sa akin dito. Napasok ako sa SEA Games, isa din ako sa napili. Sa boxing, mag-aano ako anong technique sa amateur na i-aapply ko," he shared.
POC President Abraham Tolentino believes the inclusion of the two professional boxers will give the team a boost.
"The inclusion of two professional boxers sa SEA Games in Bangkok. So definitely God willing, it will be a podium for the two. Huwag na natin sabihin ginto, pero siguradong pipilitin natin ginto yan," he said.
Tolentino likewise thanked the managers of Marcial and Mindoro for allowing them to represent the country in the regional showcase.
Boxers Eumir Marcial and Weljon Mindoro will lead the Philippine team in the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand, the Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines announced on November 19, 2025 in Pasig City. Paige Javier, ABS-CBN News
Joining Marcial and Mindoro are Jay Bryan Baricuatro (48kg), Marvin Tabamo (51kg), Flint Jara (54kg), Ian Clark Bautista (57kg), and Junmilardo Ogayre (60kg).
Olympic silver medalist and two-time SEA Games gold medalist Carlo Paalam is a notable figure not on the list.
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"Merong date yung box-off, you have to make your weight. So unfortunately si Carlo caught that bad flu. Ito yung mga previous months eh na, so he wasn't able to train for a couple of weeks. And basically he wasn't prepared for the box off," Manalo explained.
"I spoke to the coaches. Sabi ko, let's reschedule a box-off. Because we have to settle it sa ring. Hindi ready yung isa, kaya yung isa yung mapipili. But what happened was si Carlo nag-communicate sa akin and he expressed na let's not, nag-beg off na siya dun sa box off. Kasi sabi niya, he respects the selection process, the timeline, and also he has huge respect to Ian Clark Bautista," Manalo added.
On the women's side, Hergie Bacyadan will join fellow Olympians Petecio (60kg) and Villegas (50kg), as she competes in the 70kg division.
Joining the Olympians are Ofelia Magno (48kg), Claudine Veloso (54kg), and Riza Pasuit (57kg).
The Philippines will participate in only 13 of the 17 weight classes because of a restriction imposed by the host nation.
"We're limited to just participating in seven out of the nine weight classes men's boxing. So we're limited by the local organizing committee, by the host country. Just like I heard in other sports also. And then on the women's side, we can only participate in six out of eight weight classes," Manalo said.
The ABAP official said the inclusion of pro boxers shows that participation in such events is not limited to amateurs.
"I think it's a good opportunity to showcase na we're opening up also dun sa possibility na yung professional boxers can also participate sa ating national team," Manalo said.
"Basically ang objective naman namin palagi is to send the best possible line up. But yun, aware lang din kami obviously in terms of yung pag-transition from professional to Olympic boxing hindi rin siya madali," he explained.
Most of the national team are already in Thailand for training camp and will remain there until the SEA Games.
The Philippine boxing team aims to improve on the country's 2023 medal haul, where they took home four golds, 5 silvers, and one bronze.