MIDDLEWEIGHT boxer Hergie Bacyadan knows she needs to make adjustments to her footwork and add more ring savvy to her boxing style once she gets another crack at an Olympic slot in the Second World Qualification Tournament set from May 23 to June 3 in Bangkok, Thailand.
“Sabi nung mga coaches na dapat mag-improve pa ang footwork at huwag laging daaning sa lakas,” said Bacyadan, one of the major awardees during the 1st Women in Sports Awards last week at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Bacyadan saw action in the first qualifying meet in Busto Arsizio, Italy, narrowly winning her opening match 3-2 against Brazilian Viviane Perreira in the women’s 71kg division but lost by unanimous decision 0-5 to Chantelle Reid of Great Britain in the next round.
The Kalinga Apayao native, who won a gold medal in the 66kg division of the world vovinam championships in Hanoi, Vietnam last November, said that going back to pure amateur boxing from the Vietnamese combat sport is proving to be difficult.
“Medyo hindi agad maka-adjust from vovinam to boxing. There are also times my coaches remind me that I cannot just overpower an opponent, na hindi laging dapat daanin sa lakas,” said the hard-punching athlete.
Bacyadan and the other boxers who failed to make the cut in Italy are scheduled to join the rest of the national boxing squad when they work out at the high-altitude US National Boxing Center in Denver, Colorado as part of their Olympic build-up.
She is keen on joining national teammates and Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas, who punched their tickets to Paris by reaching the finals and semifinals, respectively, of their respective weight divisions in Italy.
Bacyadan must reach the semis in the Bangkok competition to catch the last bus to Paris.
