Boxing World Champion Coach Andrea Galbiati from Italy has returned to train FSM Boxing Team
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- Category: Sports
- Published: Friday, 17 May 2019 06:09
- Written by Bill Jaynes
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By FSM Boxing Association
One year later, FSM Boxing World Champion Coach Andrea Galbiati from Italy has returned to Pohnpei to help train hopefuls for the FSM Boxing National Team to compete at this year's Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa come July 2019. Galbiati has returned for one month and together with head Coach Erick Divinagracia have been training these hopefuls, which includes Mavrick Manalastas and returning 2015 Pacific Game team member, Derick Perman. Such boxing training consists of a grueling 5 days a week 4 hours a day schedule, which is broken down into two workouts that start from 10AM - 12PM and another two hours in the evening from 6:30PM - 8:30PM and Saturdays as well. "Training with Coach Andrea is hard, but its good work it's worth it I can see improvement in my technique, my speed, and my footwork is on another level. There is nothing that he does not explain and to have a Coach of his caliber critiquing us on every little thing we do improves our skills" said Perman.
Galbiati has been involved with FSM Boxing since 2013 when he first met Yapese boxer, Jennifer Chieng in New York City where their training began together and he helped corner her for over fifteen fights on four different continents. At the 2015 Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea, Jennifer and three other team members represented the first ever FSM National Boxing team, where she won the gold medal which lead to her to participating in an epic match at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janiero.
Galbiati’s involvement in the FSM is also not just limited to training Micronesian boxers, but also helping the local community and promoting the FSM whenever he can. Last year, he provided basic self-defense training to the Kolonia Town Police and this year he was able to speak to students at the College of Micronesia and tell his story and the requirements of a professional athlete. In his free time, Galbiati is constantly promoting the FSM on his social media pages and in interviews with the Italian media to help foster tourism between the two countries.
In light of the Pacific Games in July, Coach Galbiati and Coach Divinagracia are hoping to narrow down the best boxer(s) in Pohnpei by June and then send them to live and train at Galbiati's gym in Brooklyn for at least a one month where these boxer(s) will be exposed to even more intense training under Coach Galbiati and the renowned New York boxing scene. However, there are no guarantees. Should the hopefuls not meet certain weight requirements by a certain date or their skill level is not up to par with the coaches’ expectations, then the boxers will not compete at the Pacific Games and instead will focus on more training and competing at smaller events to help build their experience. “Our boxers health is our number one priority. Boxing is not a sport that you play and is very dangerous. At the Pacific Games, there are highly skilled veteran boxers that have competed their whole life from the time they were youths to adults and some have competed at the World Championships and the Olympics. These guys are still young and have plenty of time to train and improve their skills and we are not going to risk their health if they can’t meet our expectations” said Divinagracia.
These activities would not have been possible without the support from the National Government, which includes receiving certain funds from the FSM Congress, support from the FSM Olympic Committee, long standing local business supporters such as Caroline Fisheries Corporation and Dongwon Fisheries who donated the boxing ring as well as donations from families and friends and support from the general public. However, the program still needs your continued support to keep the sport of boxing thriving in the FSM to hopefully produce the next FSM Olympian boxer or World Champion! You can show your support by stopping by the gym across from the Christian Calvary Academy where boxing classes are every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings or by visiting their Facebook page at "FSM Boxing Association."
