Sixteen boxers from the cities of Bago and Bacolod are going up the canvass today, with an eye on the championship title in their respective categories in the final day of the 2008 PLDT-Smart National Open, Youth and Women's Amateur Boxing Championships in Iloilo City.

Six more Bagoeños prevailed over their rivals in yesterday’s semi-final bouts, bringing to 11 the number of finalists from Bago, while five boxers from Bacolod secured a seat in the finals by hurdling their semi-final assignments.

Lemuel Javines (27kg), Christian Cordova (30kg), and Lionel Ermeo (35kg) will be joining John Salazar (34kg) and Bryan Salazar (36kg) in the final showdown of the Kids Division today while James Palicte (41kg) followed early qualifiers Mark Sevilla (50kg) and Ramel Tompong (43kg) in the Schoolboys department.

National pool members Aston Palicte and Jimboy Vicera did not fail the Bago team as they advanced to the finals as earlier predicted by Bago City Sports coordinator Ignacio Denila who accompanied the team in Iloilo. Ryan Sigueza completed the 11-man final cast for Bago in today’s championship bouts.

Meanwhile, newly crowned 2008 Palarong Pambansa best boxer Gerson Nietes heads the Team Bacolod/NABA’s championship campaign in the 46kg event.

Nietes, cousin of professional boxing champion Donnie, is joined by Joren Labordo (31kg), Genesis Servania (50kg), and Junrey Millegen (60kg) in the finals. Team Bacolod’s female boxer Renalyn Jacob also made it to the championship round.

The impressive performance from the Bago and Bacolod boxers sends a strong signal to the boxing community that the most probable 2012 Olympics campaigner for the Philippines will be from Negros Occidental, Bacolod congressman Monico Puentevella yesterday said.

In a press conference, he said that amateur boxing in this part of the country has been greatly influenced by the success of Manny Pacquiao and it is about time for the country to review and strengthen its boxing program.

Puentevella said that plans are underway for Bacolod City to host the next amateur boxing championship, hopefully in October after the MassKara celebration.*NAB

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