ABAP national training pool standout Gerson Nietes of Barangay Granada, Bacolod City led host Bacolod boxers in posting wins in the ongoing 2009 Smart National Open Youth and Women’s Amateur Boxing Championship Sunday at the Negros Occidental Multi-Purpose Activity Center.
Nietes, a gold medalist during last year’s national tournament in Iloilo City and cousin of reigning WBO minimumweight champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes who is fresh from a recent training stint in Cuba, posted a points victory in the 48 kgs. division over Harold Layno of Iligan City late Sunday and was scheduled to take on Mario Fernandez of Bukidnon on Monday.
The week-long event is sponsored by Smart and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and hosted here by the congressional field office of Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella, chairman of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC). It was held in cooperation with the Negros Amateur Boxing Association (NABA) headed by Games and Amusement Board (GAB) commissioner Juan Ramon ‘Monju’ Guanzon.
Other local boxers who posted wins Sunday were: Martin Cordova of Bago City over Zea Lapaan of Benguet, Baguio (45 kgs./pinweight); Arman Altar of Cadiz City over Darwin Laguna of Silay City (48 kgs./lightflyweight); Jason Calamba of Bacolod-B over Nicky Tayo of Zamboanga City (48 kgs./lightflyweight); Reymond Orcada of Bacolod-C over Jay Anthony Nogot of PHILSCA (48 kgs./lightflyweight) all in the youth boys division 17-18 years old; Alvin Sibugan of BAcolod-A over Robert Elinas of Northern Samar (48 kgs. lightflyweight); and Fernando Tacuyan of Himamaylan City-B over Arnolfo Toralba of Bacolod-B (48 kgs./lightflyweight).
Other local boxers who posted win Sunday in the juniors boys division were: Rafael Sue?o of Bacolod over Florence Reyes of Zamboanga City (46 kgs./pinweight0 and Ricky Covacha of Bacolod-B over Ferdinand Garcia of Talisay City (52 kgs./bantamweight).
Over 600 boxers and officials from various clubs and local boxing associations in various parts of the country are gathered here until Saturday for this event, which is Abap’s centerpiece national competition aimed at discovering promising young talents for inclusion into the Abap national training pool.
