Commissioner Angel Bautista.
Good news for Filipino boxers. Games and Amusement Board (GAB) commissioner Angel Bautista disclosed recently that more Filipino boxers will be given opportunity to fight for Asia-Pacific and even world championships under the auspices of the World Boxing Organization staring next year.
"In fact, more Filipinos are rated in the WBO and, chances are, they will fight for the regional and world titles in 2008," said Bautista.
He said WBO is "very much active in Asia especially in the Philippines." Bautista credited WBO Asia-Pacific Vice President Leon Panoncillo, Jr., a Hawaiian who speaks fluent Cebuano, for the resurgence of boxing championships in this part of the world saying "Panoncillo deserves all the awards and accolades he is reaping from boxing commissions in Asia, including the WBO which cited him for his big contribution in the promotion of boxing in our zone during the WBO convention in Puerto Rico (held last Oct. 30-Nov. 2)."
The Games and Amusement Board also awarded Panoncillo with Plaque of Recognition last Sept. 30 in Cebu City presented by Bautista.
The country already has two WBO champions--bantamweight Gerry Penalosa and minimumweight Donnie Nietes.
Popular Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista also holds the Asia-Pacific belt in the superbantamweight division.
"There will be a lot of WBO championship fights in 2008 and we are expanding in China and we are now in Macau," Panoncillo confirmed.
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