MANILA, Philippines - Misamis Oriental sent all but two of its 15 entries to the gold medal round while 10 bets from Davao del Norte advanced to the finals in the PLDT-ABAP Mindanao Area Amateur tournament in Panabo City, Davao del Norte Tuesday.
Rafael Jalnaiz, son of former national team standout Bobby Jalnaiz, led the charge of the MisOr bets, who braced for a showdown with the Davao del Norte fighters for the overall championship.
“Competition is getting more fierce as we approach the finals. We’re optimistic about spotting fresh talent for the nationals in Cagayan De Oro this January,” said ABAP executive director Ed Picson.
The finals of the event participated in by 232 boxers representing 21 clubs from different parts of the region was slated late yesterday with the Tonyboy Cup at stake.
The gold medalists of Mindanao tournament will battle fellow champions of Luzon and Visayas in the national championships slated Jan. 22-28 next year in Cagayan De Oro City.
“With international tournaments for junior and youth boxers coming next year, we’re looking to recruit strong material for our program,” said Picson.
Medals up for grabs in this five-day event are in the kids division (11 to 12 years old), school boys (13-14), junior boys (15 -16), youth boys (17-18) and elite men (19-25).