THE 2009 Smart-Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (Abap) National Amateur Boxing Championships opens Saturday at the Negros Occidental Multi-Purpose Activity Center (Nompac) with Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao as special guest.
The opening ceremonies are scheduled following a press conference from noon to 2 p.m. at the Business Inn where Pacquiao and top officials of Abap, led by president Ricky Vargas and chairman Manny Pangilinan as well as host organizers led by Bacolod Representative Monico Puentevella, chairman of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and vice-chairman of the House Committee on Youth and Sports, and Negros Amateur Boxing Association (Naba) head, former Bacolod councilor and Games and Amusement Board (GAB) commissioner Juan Ramon ‘Monju’ Guanzon, and commissioner Eric Loretizo of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), are expected to be present.
Other boxing personalities expected to be in Saturday’s opening program are Abap secretary general Patrick Gregorio, former Abap head and now vice-president Manny Lopez, North Cotabato Vice-Governor Manny Pi?ol, and Cebu-based Negrense international boxing promoter Antonio ‘Bidoy’ Aldeguer, among others.
The week-long competition is expected to showcase young talents from the different amateur boxing centers in various parts of the country, as well as standouts from the national training pool that are seeing action for the powerhouse Armed Forces teams.
Over 300 boxers representing more than 35 amateur boxing clubs from all over the country have registered for the tournament as of 5 p.m. Friday. Organizers said they were expecting more boxers to arrive late Friday in time for Saturday’s opening.
A total of 55 upcoming boxers from Naba and the Monico Golden Gloves will represent Bacolod City in the January 17-24 competition supported by Smart and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) led by Joren Labordo (36 kgs.) and Gerson Nietes (48 kgs.), both gold medal winners during last year’s edition of the same event held in Iloilo City.
But while everything is set for Saturday’s kickoff, the issue of whether the tournament will focus on discovery of new talents from the grassroots or will be an open competition where incumbent members of the RP team will compete with newcomers remains unsettled.
Guanzon told Sun.Star he is still awaiting the final decision of Abap as to whether the event will be focused on boxers below 18 years old or will still allow “overstaying” members of the national team to compete.
“Both congressman Puentevella and myself share the belief that this is the right time for us to concentrate on the discovery of fresh young talents from the grassroots who will eventually take over from our overstaying national boxers,” Guanzon said.
But he was quick to add they are still awaiting the final decision of top Abap officials regarding the matter.
Guanzon is in Manila and is expected to arrive early Saturday, together with Pacquiao and top Abap officials, on board a Smart private plane. After their arrival, the party is expected to go on a motorcade around Bacolod City before proceeding to the scheduled press conference.
All matches in this weeklong event will run from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily. They will be open to the public for free.
