Elorde Awards to honor best in RP boxing

The Gabriel "Flash" Elorde Awards Night, the country’s most important tribute to outstanding sportsmen and sports leaders in professional boxing, will be held for the third straight year on March 25 during the 68th birth anniversary of the Philippines’ greatest boxing legend.

Venue is the Rigodon Ballroom of the Manila Peninsula Hotel where the country’s world and national champions as well as outstanding ring judges, referees, trainers, matchmakers, managers and promoters of 2002 will be honored in the "Elorde Banquet of Champions."

The Awards Night is held by the Elorde family in honor of the late "Flash", regarded as the Philippines’ greatest boxer of all time and the world’s greatest in the junior lightweight division.

Elorde emerged as an international figure four decades after the glory years of Pancho Villa, ruling the junior lightweight division for seven years, from 1960 to 1967.

In 1993 he was one of the very first to be inducted into the International Hall of Fame, joining a handful of boxing champions that included Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Joey Giardello, Harold Johnson and Fritzie Zivic and old-timers Maxie Rosenbloom, Tommy Gibbons, Tiger Flowers and Les Darcy.

"With all the glowing tributes accorded to my father from the time he became champion to his death, we owe it to all who love the sport to make the Elorde Awards a yearly tradition," said his son, promoter Johnny Elorde who is overseeing preparations for this affair.

"Through the Elorde Annual Awards, we would like to give something back to the Filipino people by paying tribute to world and national champions and to the judges, referees, trainers, matchmakers, managers, promoters and all those who also made a lot of sacrifices to uplift Philippine sports," he added.

Mrs. Laura Elorde, wife of Da Flash, and her sons, Johnny, Bebot and Marty, will be on hand to present the awards.

The Elorde Awards’ highest honor will be conferred on the Boxer of the Year. Major awards will be presented to the best trainer, best judge, best referee, best fight of the year and most popular and exciting fighters.

Special awards and citations will also be given to boxers and local and international boxing personalities who have made significant contributions to Philippine professional boxing.

Posthumous awards will honor outstanding personalities in boxing who passed away in 2002.