Tagbilaran City is fast becoming another boxing haven in the south.
Although Tagbilaran Mayor Dan Neri Lim has spearhead drive to make champions out of his homegrown talents, he has credited Antonio Aldeguer for the big boost.
“With the help of Tony Aldeguer, we put Tagbilaran City in the (boxing map of the) world. I have been following Aldeguer’s exploits in boxing for the past 25 years, so when we had the opportunity, we grabbed him,” said Lim, who is a proud alumnus of East Visayan Academy.
Aldeguer became an adopted son of Tagbilaran City in 2004, while Councilor Danilo Bantugan recently passed a resolution making boxing sensation Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista, who is a native of Candijay, Bohol, its adopted son.
On July 22, Tagbilaran will host another big boxing card, with ALA Boy Czar Amonsot making his first defense of the World Boxing Organization Asia-Pacific junior lightweight title. Fighting in the undercard is AJ Banal, Along Denoy and Mark Jason Melleguen, who all trace their roots to the city.
In November last year, Amonsot, a native of Tagbilaran City, won the title by dethroning Victor Mausol by knockout in the eighth round also in Tagbilaran.
Lim also lauded the help of Hadji Wahab Amil, owner of Weesam Express, which has become the official fast craft carrier of ALA Gym fighters in their trips to Tagbilaran.
Tagbilaran’s involvement in boxing started when Mayor Lim promoted Bautista in October 2004. The city then staged a much bigger card, a P4 million boxing extravaganza featuring Bautista’s title defense on Nov. 19 last year.
Aldeguer, for his part, recognized Lim as motivator to his boxers.
“What I lack is what Mayor Lim provides. I provide the technical skills by personally training the boys, and Mayor Lim fills in the psychological aspects,” said Aldeguer.
In amateur boxing, Tagbilaran is also fast becoming a powerhouse.
After its overall championship in the Visayas Inter-City Developmental Amateur Boxing in September 2005, its amateur boxers finished first runner-up in this year’s edition in Tacloban City.
The ALA Gym in Taloto, Tagbilaran trains around 80 young boys everyday.
