WBC judge, WBA ref receive Elorde awards

MANILA, Philippines – A Filipino ring judge, who officiated in six WBC title bouts last year, and a former policeman who worked several WBA championship bouts as third man in the ring will be honored as best ring officials during the 11th Gabriel “Flash” Elorde Memorial Boxing Awards and Banquet of Champions on March 25 at the Grand Ballroom of the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel.

Rey Danseco, 38, a sports journalist, is one of the youngest and only active Filipinos to serve as boxing judge in the WBC world championship bouts in the last four years.

Silvestre Abainza, a retired policeman from Makati, was the third man in the ring in the WBA World super featherweight title bout between Takashi Uchiyama and Angel Granados in Japan and WBA female featherweight title fight between Hyun Mi Choi and Claudia Andrea Lopez in Korea as well as several Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation and Pan Asian Boxing Association championship bouts.

Danseco was tapped for the all-Mexican bout between ex-WBC light flyweight championship between Eric Ortiz and Adrian Hernandez for the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) flyweight title and the WBC light flyweight title eliminator between Filipino Juanito Rubillar and Mexico’s former world champion Omar Niño Romero in Mexico City.

Last year, WBC president Jose Sulaiman assigned him to six different WBC world title bouts – the most by any Filipino boxing judge – in Japan, Thailand (twice) and Mexico (thrice).

Danseco is the only Philippine judge in the championship fight of the NABF, WBC Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) super flyweight title bout and WBC Youth World super flyweight title match in various cities in Mexico. He also worked the fight of Filipinos against Japanese, Thais, and Indonesians for the OPBF and WBC international titles.

With his achievements, Danseco is seen as the biggest name in boxing since the semi-retired international referee-judge Carlos “Sonny” Padilla, who will be the first recipient of the Lope “Papa” Sarreal Milestone Award for his outstanding performance as third man in the ring.

The Elorde Awards Night, held in memory of Flash Elorde on the occasion of his 76th birth anniversary, will honor Manny Pacquiao as “Quintessential Athlete” and Nonito Donaire, Donnie Nietes and Ana Julaton as Boxers of the Year in 2010.

Other awardees will be last year’s world, international and Philippine champions in both the men’s and women’s division.

The awards rites are supported by Rep. Sambar and co-presented by Cobra Energy Drink, Sanicare Kitchen Towels, Procter & Gamble Distributing (Phils), Inc., Contour Splinting Services, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, SMART, International Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel, Prestige Poker Sport Club, Southpaw Bar and Grill and the Elorde Gyms.

For more information please call 825-0625; 826-4463; 0922-8507174 or 0916-2423657.