If he had his way, Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella wants the next national amateur boxing championships scheduled in May in Bacolod City.

Puentevella yesterday said there is a need to find new talents for the national team and holding the national tournament in the city will give boxers in the province a greater chance of clinching spots in the pool.

The Bacolod solon, who will serve as delegation head of the Philippine contingent in the Beijing Olympics, earlier called for a review of the programs of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines in the wake of the failure in the final Asian Olympic Qualifier in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Tipped to qualify and do well in the Olympics, Bacolod City-born Joan Tipon, who is also supported by Talisay City, was a big letdown, bowed out in the first round in the Kazakhstan tournament, before Godfrey Castro of Cadiz City and kissed his Olympic hopes goodbye after losing to an Uzbek and Indian fighter, respectively. Only Harry Tañamor earned a slot in the Olympics.

Puentevella said the blame should not be pinned only on the ABAP. Instead, he called for the boxing community to unite to in order for the country’s amateur boxing program to improve.

For the national amateur boxing tournament, Puentevella said he will pit the winners of the first Monico Golden Gloves boxing tournament against the champions from North Cotabato, Zamboanga and Cebu under Antonio Aldeguer.

“We hope to produce new talents for ABAP from the national tournament and gear them up for the London Olympics in 2012,” Puentevella, the first vice-president of the Philippine Olympic Committee, said.

Negros Occidental is home of champion amateur boxers, among them Atlanta Olympics silver winner Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco, his older brother, Roel, a Barcelona Games bronze medalist.*CPT

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