Sunday, July 13, 2008 Cebu City Council backs Banal's title fight
TO CONTINUE their full support to the popular sport of boxing, the Cebu City Government gave the “Laban Na Banal: Panahon Na” fight card full tax exemption and a sum of P450,000 for the event banners hung on the posts of the streets of city
AJ “Bazooka” Banal’s will headline the card against Rafael “El Torito” Concepcion for the World Boxing Association super flyweight crown on July 26 at the Cebu Coliseum.
In addition to that, Mayor Tomas Osmeña and the Cebu City Council will also allowing parking around the Cebu Coliseum and will be deploying Citom and policemen to help secure the area during fight night.
The resolutions were approved on June 25, while the request for P450,000 by Cebu City Council Committee on Sports, Amusement and Games Chairman Sylvan “Jack” Jackosalem was just approved last Wednesday.
“Usually the council would deliberate if the amount is big but the council recognized all the efforts of ALA in promoting boxing and Visayan boxers and the financial risks he goes through for them. So not even one question was raised and the resolutions were quickly approved,” Jackosalem told Sun.Star Cebu.
Meanwhile, ALA Promotions said the city’s move will mean more boxing fights in Cebu City, which will host two world title fights in just a month.
“We thank the City Government for their support. It is a big help for Cebu boxing. It encourages promoters to promote more championship fights in Cebu,” ALA Promotions President Michael Aldeguer told Sun.Star Cebu in an interview.
With the support of the City Government, Aldeguer feels that they are more inspired now to help the youngsters, like Banal who is a resident of Ermita, to stay away from the vices and crimes, which are very rampant nowadays, and be into the sport of boxing which was the longtime dream of his father, Antonio L. Aldeguer.
“With the City Government helping us it encourages us a lot in helping kids like AJ stay away from the streets.” (EKA)
