NORTH COTABATO HOSTS WEEK-LONG BOXFEST

It will be a week-long boxing festival starting Aug. 27 when North Cotabato hosts the 1st Mindanao Invitational Amateur Boxing Tournament and a big professional boxing card on Aug. 31 to mark the 91st foundation anniversary of the booming province in the Southern Philippines.

North Cotabato Governor Manny Pinol, who is credited with transforming

this former poor and strife-torn area into one of the most progressive

and peaceful provinces after just seven years as governor, said the

boxing festival is one of the events lined up to celebrate an era of peace

and prosperity.

Amateur boxing clubs from all over the Island of Mindanao including

some provinces from the Visayas will be fielding boxers in what is

expected to be a very stiff competition for the tournament's medals and the

honor of being chosen as the first group of amateur boxers who will be

trained by Cuban boxing coach Honorato Espinosa.

Espinosa, 67, who holds the distinction of training the boxer who gave

Cuba its first Olumpic gold in Munich in 1972, is expected to scout for

young talents who will train under the Governors' National Amateur

Boxing Circuit in preparation for the big international events, including

the Beijing Olympics of 2008.

The powerhouse teams include Davao del Norte and Panabo City, sponsored

by Congressman Tony Boy Floreindo, the Davao City team of Mayor

Rodrigo Duterte, the Sarangani Province team of Governor Miguel Dominguez and

Mayor Joel Lopez, the Digos City team of Mayor Boy Latasa, the Bohol

Province team of Governor Erico Aumentado and the host province of North

Cotabato which will be fielding three teams.

"Certainly, many talents will be discovered in this tournament and we

hope to organize the Governors' national amateur boxing team

afterwards," said Governor Pinol.

To cap the week-long sports activity, a professional boxing card will

be staged right after the awarding ceremonies for amateur boxers on Aug.

31.

Young professional boxers from North Cotabato who are products of

Governor Pinol's amateur boxing program will be seeing action in the boxing

card which will be open to the public.

Bantamweight sensation Glenn Porras, 19 (5wins 1 loss 2 kos)will be

going up against the veteran Mark Sales of Manila, the country's No. 7 jr.

bantamweight contender and former World Boxing Federation Asia-Pacific

115-lb. titlist.

Junior flyweight Dennis Juntilla, 21 (5 wins, 1 loss 2 kos) will fight

Pingping Tepura of Cebu City while 19-year-old Tommy Terado (5 wins,

no loss, 2 kos) will go up against Philippine-ranked Ricardo Albia in

the miniflyweight division.

TWo other North Cotabato boxers seeing action are undefeated Ervin

Dapudong, 19 (5 wins, no loss, 2 kos) and Rex Penalosa, 20 (4 wins 1 loss,

1 ko).

Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Butch Ramirez, Immigration

Commissioner Al Fernandez, Amateur Boxing Federation President Manny Lopez and

many other top government officials are expected to attend the sports

event.

END