Team Cebu best in national youth boxing

CEBU CITY – Defending champion Team Cebu City retained its crown in the National Youth Open Amateur Boxing Championships last Saturday held inside the Queen City’s Ayala Entertainment Center, the first time in the country.

Host and defending champion, Team Cebu City (TCC) bounced back from a sluggish start in the weeklong tournament and producing six golds and two silvers, enough to keep the overall title. It also ruled the Division-I (36-42 kgs.) with three golds and two silvers and Division-II (45-60 kgs.) with three golds.

Bago City closed its bid in this event co-presented by Revicon, Philippine Sports Commission, SKYGO-Gillamac and Nature’s Spring with two golds courtesy of 48 kgs. Reynan Salimbot and 54 kgs. Ronald Mayordomo plus three silvers and two bronzes.

Erstwhile leader, Mandaue City ended up third with two golds through Reynaldo Caitom and 37 kgs. Jomar Matbagon and three silvers while Tolonan, Cotabato came out fourth overall in a record-field of 38 teams with one gold through Johnny Cadigal plus two bronzes.

Cebu City’s Rocky Fuente’s power and impressive footwork enabled him to win the gold in the 38 kgs. against Cagayan de Oro’s Milan Melindo after which Roben Minoza managed to hang on a very stiff battle against Cotabato Province’s Tommy Terado to take the 40-kgs title with a 41-31 score.

Alex John Banal also of TCC avenged his brother Nicolas’ controversial defeat in the quarterfinals by pulling a 40-32 victory over Bago’s Albert Pabila in the 41-kgs category.

In the division-II, Robert Allanic took the gold in the 45 kgs. over Bago’s Glen Ventura.

Ceasar Amonsot, meanwhile, also proved his worth to Team Cebu City by outclasasing Camiguin’s last boxer standing, Lexer Bulain Paingco with an RSC-0 35 second left in the first round in the 57-kgs class.

After Amonsot’s victory, both Cebu City and Bago stood with two golds each to engage in a thrilling fight for the division-II championships. However, Cebu’s Alexis Canamo handled the pressures well, grabbing the gold in the 60 kgs. over Bago’s Mark Jason Millegen.

Tolonan, Cotabato’s Johnny Cadigal knocked down Cebu’s Allenyl Codilla a minute and 10 seconds in the first round while Codilla’s teammate Jonard Villanuea bowed to Mandaue City’s Reynaldo Caitom, 27-39, in the 42-kgs contests.

Manny Lopez, president of the sanctioning Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP), congratulated the organizers of the event led by boxing patron Antonio Aldeguer and as well as the city of Cebu and its sports commission for the very successful event.

Lopez, who just arrived from the Amateur Boxing Championship in Malaysia, described the just-concluded event as "unprecedented," taking note of the 38 teams and the close to 300 young boxers in the fold.