Former world champs feted in Elorde rites

Former world champions Luisito Espinosa, Erbito Salavarria and Eric Chavez and World Boxing Council president Jose Sulaiman will receive special awards and citations during the second Gabriel "Flash" Elorde Annual Awards set March 25 at the Hotel InterContinental.

Espinosa was the World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council bantamweight champion from 1989-1991 and from 1995-99. At about the same period, Chavez became the International Boxing Federation miniflyweight champion from 1989 to 1990.

Salavarria reigned as the WBC and WBA flyweight champion from 1970-73 and from 1975-76.

The three will receive special awards as former world champions in the Gabriel Elorde Banquet of Champions - Annual Awards, presented for the second straight year by the Elorde clan in honor of boxing legend Da Flash, the longest-reigning junior lightweight champion (1960-67).

"The Awards, which we are staging every year in memory of our father, is our way of giving recognition to boxing greats who did the country proud in international competitions," said Johnny Elorde, son of the legendary world champion.

The 2001 Boxer-of-the-Year award will be conferred on IBF world superbantamweight champion Manny Pacquiao by Vice President Teofisto Guingona.

Sulaiman, who has helped Philippine champions and Philippine boxing in general in his term as head of the most prestigious boxing organization of the world, will also receive a special award along with local promoters and sports personalities.

The other awardees are Rudy Salud, the first WBC secretary general and currently a boxing promoter, GAB chairman Eduardo Villanueva, Philippine-based international referee Bruce McTavish, MMDA chairman and former Luzon Professional Boxing (LUZPROBA) president Ben Abalos and Pasay Mayor and former boxing judge Peewee Trinidad.