Panamanian boxing is in mourning following the death of Aurelio Fiengo, a prominent figure in the local and Latin American boxing community. On Wednesday, March 25th, he passed away after a long battle with a debilitating illness, just days after celebrating his 84th birthday on March 22nd.
Fiengo joined the Colón Professional Boxing Commission in the mid-1960s and later became its president. He also served as an executive for FEDELATIN, the Latin American Boxing Federation, of the World Boxing Association for over 30 years. This dedication earned him the title of President Emeritus of FEDELATIN and a lifetime membership in the WBA, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to regional boxing within the WBA from 1993 until his recent illness.
Aurelio Ernesto Fiengo Martinez was a member of the WBA's rankings committee and was closely involved in the administration of the WBA during the tenures of Gilberto Mendoza and later, Gilberto Mendoza Jr.
He was part of the celebration of the first world championship fight held in Colón in 2001, where Panamanian Ana Pascal made history as the first Panamanian world champion.
The presence of Latinos in the WBA world rankings suggested they were strong contenders for a world championship opportunity.
He worked closely with amateur boxing, organizing frequent amateur boxing events and securing support from private companies at the time.
Fiengo was the main driving force behind acquiring land in 1998 in the Arco Iris community of Colón to build the never-finished 'Ismael Laguna Boxing Academy,' which is currently undergoing endless renovations awaiting completion by successive governments.
During his tenure as president of FEDELATIN from 1993, nearly 100 Latin American FEDELATIN champions went on to become world champions.
He was a supervisor of world championship fights on nearly 50 occasions in different parts of the world.
Fiengo lived in Colón, where he worked for years, championed boxing in that city, and dedicated his life to it. He passed away in his beloved city, formerly known as "La Tacita de Oro" (The Little Golden Cup).
Rest in peace, one of the last loyal and decent members of the WBA.
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