Top boxers feted in Elorde awards rites

Filipino world champions and boxing personalities who contributed to the development of the sports in the year just ended will be honored during the annual Gabriel "Flash" Elorde Boxing Awards Night—Banquet of Champions on March 30 at the grandballroom of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Makati City.

Johnny Elorde, son of D’Flash, one of the greatest boxers of all time in whose memory the Annual Awards is held, said world champion Manny Pacquiao will lead the major honorees in this great event, the ultimate award in Philippine Professional boxing.

Pacquiao is expected to be back from his bout with Erik Morales in Las Vegas on March 19 in time for the awards rites.

Elorde said this year’s boxing awards will not be held on D’Flash’s birthday on March 25, which is the usual date, because it falls on Good Friday.

Filipino boxers who won or retained their world and international crowns during the year will be the major honorees of the the Flash Elorde Awards held in honor of the Filipino legend, the world’s longest-reigning junior lightweight champion (1960-67) and one of only two Filipinos — after Pancho Villa — to be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Former world champions will also be honored in the Banquet of Champions along with those who passed away during the year.

"We are honored to present the Elorde Awards for the fifth straight year," said the young Elorde. "Our family will continue to honor our boxers to keep this sport alive and give glory to the legacy left by our father."

Laura Elorde, wife of the Filipino boxing legend, said the Elorde Awards has become an annual tradition the family aims to hold every year to "inspire our boxers to work harder and train seriously to achieve for themselves the desired goals in the sport and a better life."

Our family carries a legacy not only to help the sport of boxing, but also the young and those who wish to improve their lives through the sport," she said.

A special award, the Flash Elorde Memorial Award, will be conferred on a former world champion who had fought Flash Elorde during his unbroken reign.

To be given special citations are the best promoter, manager, trainer, referee, judge, most promising boxer and best fight of the year.

Also to be honored are private and government individuals and entities who have given their support to boxing.