AT LEAST two Negrense amateur boxers - light welterweight Jimboy vicera of Bago City and light welterweight Mark Melligen of Barangay Pahanocoy, Bacolod City - have been chosen to banner the Philippine team in a boxing dual meet in Guam which kicks off on Saturday in the capital city of Agana.

The boxing team is coached by veteran Negrense coach from Bago City Nolito 'Boy' Velasco.

Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo

Other boxers with the team are lightweight Rolando Tacuyan, bantamweight Aston Francis Palicte, featherweight Nesthy Petecio and welterweight Adonis Cabalquinto.

The Filipinos, some of them rookies in the national team, will match boxing skills against crack amateur boxers from the US trust territory representing the Guam Amateur Boxing Association in the three-day tournament.

This will be the first time an RP team competes in an international tournament under the administration of new Abap president Ricky Vargas and chairman Manny Pangilinan.

The Guam stint of the national boxers is supported by Smart and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

Three-time Olympic coach Velasco said he is confident the boxers will bring home medals from the said event. "I am not sure how many but I am confident that we will bring home some medals from the said tournament," he told Sun.Star Bacolod in a telephone interview Wednesday. (HCV)