Phl team hopefuls press bids in Canlubang card

Manila, Philippines - National boxing team aspirants step up their drive for berths in the squad seeing in two big international events this year as they slug it out in the Balik-Canlubang fightcard tomorrow at the Ceris I basketball court in Canlubang, Laguna.

Joan Tipon, the Doha Asian Games gold medal winner hot on a comeback trail, and Guangzhou Asiad bronze medalist Victorio Saludar III, banner four top-notch fights lined up in the one-day slugfest which serves as the second sporting event of the Balik-Canlubang homecoming project on Jan. 6-7, 2012.

The boxing event, to be handled by national coaches Boy Velasco and Pat Gaspi together with Balik-Canlubang committee head Ely Baradas, is sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission, Harbour Centre and Maynilad.

Tipon, who bagged the silver in the Sydney Jackson Memorial tilt in Uzbekistan early this year, goes up against Samar’s Ricky Dulay, a bronze medalist in last year’s MVP tournament, while Saludar battles Mark Anthony Barriga, a gold medal winner in the Uzbekistan slugfest and quarterfinalist in the World Youth Championship.

Veteran campaigner Rolando Tacuyan tests the mettle of former national youth gold medalist Dennis Galvan Diaz while Janice Vallares and Ricalene Aquino provide the lone action between female members of the national pool.

The fights will serve as part of the elimination series conducted by the ABAP for the World Championship team in Azerbaijan in September and the SEA Games in Indonesia in November.

Atlanta Olympic Games silver medalist Onyok Velasco has also been invited to grace the occasion.

Meanwhile, 10 bouts featuring young local talents under two age-group divisions will serve as preliminary fights for the main card, according to Canlubang coordinators Cesar Pradas, Louie Mijares, Dindo Rivera and Mel Delos Santos.

Fights will start at 2 p.m. Interested youth fighters may contact Rivera at 0921-7720457.