DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/14 Apr) – A sports award giving body here has feted the region’s finest professional and amateur boxers, including three champions who were conferred with a Hall of Fame award in simple but meaningful rites.
Former Regional Trial Court Judge Jaime Quitain, Davao Sports Hall of Fame (DSHF) president, inducted World Boxing Council (WBC) International super-bantamweight champion Balweg Bangoyan, World Boxing Organization (WBO) Oriental super-bantamweight champion Jesus Albaracin and WBO Oriental flyweight titlist Ardin Diale to the boxing Hall of Fame before hundreds of spectators at the Barangay Bankerohan covered court.
The DSHF also gave an outstanding achievement award to professional boxers Siony Carupo, 1981 Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation junior flyweight champion, and Rolando Aldemir, 1983 OPBF lightweight champion; and amateur Brix “Bomb” Ray, 1999 Arafura Games gold medalist.
“Our congratulations to all of you, our boxing heroes. Davaoeños are proud of you,” Quitain told the boxers.
Professional light-flyweight contender Philip Parcon and the multi-titled amateur campaigner Moralde brothers, John Vincent and Engelbert, received awards of recognition, the least award given in the event backed by Powerade, Davao City Council, City Government of Davao, City Government of Panabo, among others.
Other recipients in the professional category include Jonathan Mercado, Raul Terado, Jerry Quinonez, Leo Ramirez, Boy Ligas, Diego de Villa, Julius Gonzaga, Rio Sumampong, Allan Alegria and Nene Jun.
In the amateur class, award recipients were Rene Anasco, Jun Ogayre, Christopher Requero and Kim Robert Galon.
“I’m very thankful to the DSHF for giving us an award like this. This is a simple way of recognizing our hard work in the sport,“ Bangoyan, 24, who is from Jose Abad Santos, told MindaNews.
Quitain said the DSHF hopes these awards will serve as an inspiration to the people of Davao City in general to support professional and amateur boxing.
Last December, DSHF feted the region’s basketball greats with former Olympian Loreto Carbonell, who led an elite cast of cage heroes.
Carbonell, 77, was recognized in the premier category for representing the country at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, the 1958 FIBA World Championships and the 1960 Asian Basketball Confederation Championships.
Other awardee were the late Davao Oriental Gov. Francisco Rabat, who played in the Philippine squad that took third place at the 1954 FIBA World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, and the late Fr. Edgar Martin, who was the Ateneo de Davao varsity basketball coach and athletic director in 1960-67.
The awarding rites were held at the Grand Men Seng Hotel.
Quitain said in the future, the DSHF will open its doors to heroes from boxing, golf, aquatics, athletics, billiards and other sports. (Rico Biliran / MindaNews)