BOXING is expected to thrive in Benguet and the Cordillera region after two local promoters were honored by the World Boxing Council (WBC) during the WBC 3rd Women's Convention and WBC Asia Summit held recently at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City.
Brico Santig, of the Highland Boxing Gym, was named as the WBC ABCO Pacific Region Promoter of 2017-2018, while Darwin Miller Dep-ay of DMAD Boxing Promotions was named promoter of the year for Muay Thai.
Santig welcomed the honor, saying this will serve as an inspiration for the gym and Dep-ay’s promotion to hone more fighters, particularly in boxing and Muay Thai in the Cordillera and hopefully produce world champions in the near future.
Santig and Dep-ay are both La Trinidad, Benguet-based promoters.
Gabriel Elorde of Elorde Promotions, together with Jim Claude Manangquil of Sanman Boxing of General Santos City, and promoter Jai Singh Shekhawat of Royal Sports Promotions in New Delhi, India was also cited during the awards night.
Elorde Jr. was named the WBC ABCO Far East Promoter of 2017-2018 with Manangquil as the WBC ABCO Archipelagic Zone Promoter of 2017-2018.
Other notable names in the list include Liu Gang (WBC ABCO East Asia Promoter of 2017-2018), Arvind Lalwani (WBC ABCO Honorary Promoter of 2017-2018), Scott Patrick O’Farrell (WBC ABCO Oriental Promoter of 2017-2018), Arnold Nico Rojas (WBC ABCO Honorary Promoter of 2017-2018), Vikram Swapragasam (WBC ABCO Indo-Pacific Promoter of 2017-2018), Jai Singh Shekhawat (WBC ABCO South Asia Promoter of 2017-2018), Pio Castillo Jr. (WBC ASIA Honorary Promoter of 2017-2018) and Art Monis (Top Matchmaker 2017-2018). (Roderick Osis)