Mandaue City to battle Cebu City in Abap meet

Thursday, January 26, 2012

MANILA—Defending champion Mandaue City is expected to encounter tough opposition from rival Cebu City in the PLDT-ABAP Visayas Area Tournament which kicked off yesterday at the Robinson’s Mall in Dumaguete City.

Nine local government units (LGU) are sending 53 boxers in the four-day event organized by the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) as part of its countrywide grassroots development program.

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“Visayas, just like Mindanao, is a boxing country and we expect talented boxers to be discovered after this tournament,” said ABAP executive director Ed Picson.

Mandaue City and Cebu City, which ruled the first Visayas championship in 2009, are archrivals in amateur boxing for decades.

Other participating LGUs are Northern Samar, Tagbilaran Bohol, Negros Occidental, Leyte, Bago City and host Dumaguete City which is fielding in two teams.

The Abap tournament will have contests for the Junior Boys (15 to 16 years old) and Youth (17-18) divisions and boxers who impress the national coaches will be invited to compete in the national finals on March 4 to 7 in Tagbilaran, Bohol.

The Visayas Area tournament is the final regional elimination conducted by ABAP, which also held qualifiers for the National Capital Region in Mandaluyong City and for Mindanao meet in Davao del Norte.