GENERAL SANTOS CITY — At most 140 amateur boxers composing 14 teams including two from this city would see action in the 2006 Kalilangan Festival Invitational Amateur Boxing Champion on February 23 to 26 at Oval Plaza covered court here.
The amateur pugilists would compete in 10 categories, namely: 28 kilograms (kgs._ (Cottonweight, Kids Division), 30 kgs. (Kiddieweight, Kids), 32 kgs. (Antweight, School Boys Division), 33 kgs. ( Light Minimumweight, School Boys), 34 kgs. (Minimumweight, School Boys), 36 kgs. (Powderweight, School Boys), 38 kgs. (Mosquitoweight, Cadet Division), 44 kgs. (Light Pinweight, Cadet), 45 kgs. (Pinweight, Junior Division) and 48 kgs. (Light Flyweight, Junior Division).
General Santos City – home of Filipino boxing idol Manny Pacquiao and former world champion Rolando Navarrete – would field two teams, the official Gensan Team and the new Metro Dadiangas Team composed of standouts from the Palarong Boxing Alang sa Kabataan Weekly Amateur Boxing Tournament formerly known as “Boxing at the Park” where Pacquiao was first discovered.
Twelve teams from Visayas and Mindanao have been invited to join in the four-day tournament. The invited teams, many of them have already confirmed their participation, include Cebu City, Bohol, Bacolod City, Mandaue City, Sindangan-Zamboanga del Sur, Camiguin Island, Misamis Oriental, Davao City, Panabo City, New Corella-Davao del Norte, Tres de Mayo-Digos City, North Cotabato, Kidapawan City, South Cotabato, Koronadal City and Sarangani Province.
Professor Rogelio Fortaleza, Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (Abap) secretary-general, would serve as tournament director. Nine nationally-accredited and five local referee-judges would officiate the championships.
Fortaleza is also working on the staging of the Abap Go-for-Gold Championships in General Santos simultaneous with the championship games on February 26. The 10 championship bouts would form part of the Go-for-Gold in addition to six bouts featuring boxers from the national training pool.
The General Santos City Government, which is celebrating its 67th Foundation Anniversary on February 27, the Abap-Gensan Chapter headed by business Adriano “Rey” Golingan, the Manny Pacquiao Foundation, Inc. and the SouthPhil Arts and Sports Promotion are working together for the conduct of both major tournaments. (Press release)
