PACQUIAO FAVORED AS BWAA FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 01 Feb 2009
Manny Pacquiao is highly favored by the prestigious Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) to win as its 2008 Fighter of the Year. It was disclosed by longtime BWAA vice president Jack Hirsch who is now the new president, succeeding five-term president Bernard Fernandez.
Hirsch, who wrote for Boxing Beat and Ring Sports magazines and recently for Britain?s Boxing News, confirmed that Pacquiao is favored to win the highly-esteemed award.
The BWAA Fighter of the Year awardee will receive the Edward J. Neil Trophy, irrespective of weight class, where it was conferred annually since 1938. The first awardee was Jack Dempsey and last year it was Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Edward J. Neil was an Associated Press sportswriter and war correspondent who was killed in 1938 while reporting on the Spanish Civil War.
Pacquiao has a very good chance of winning it since last year he won two world titles in two different weight classes and made a staggering form against the Golden Boy Oscar de la Hoya. The Annual Awards will be held in New York on April 17, 2009.
He was already the Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year Awardee and the ESPN International Athlete of the Year. He also received the same BWAA Fighter of the Year Award in 2006.
* * *
I came to the resort island-province of Camiguin on January 22-24 to attend the 4th BSP National Scout Venture attended by almost 2,000 senior scouts and adult leaders all over the country. The provincial government led by Governor Jurdin Jesus Romualdo did a good job in hosting the national gathering of scouts.
Being the Boy Scouts of the Philippines Council Chairman for Southern Leyte and Regional Vice Chairman for Eastern Visayas (Region 7 & 8), I fulfilled my duty to be with my boys even if it was only for two days and a half due to a very pressing schedule.
Camiguin is famous for its Lanzones Festival every October. This year 2009 will be the 30th Anniversary of the festival. Though lanzones bear numerous fruits every two years and this year, only a handful of lanzones were available, yet we tasted the island?s most famous produce. During the last Lanzones Festival, a boxing tournament was held to discover fresh talents among the amateur ranks.
Aside from the scenic beaches and pools, several centuries-old churches are found in various parts of the island. The church ruins of San Roque in Barangay Bonbon was a famous tourist attraction because it was destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Vulcan Daan in 1871 and the nearby underwater sunken cemetery, submerged after the said eruption.
Camiguin featured Agoho Tigers Boxing Club in Mambajao, the province?s capital. The boxers who trained at the said stable were under the strict supervision of Wally Townsend, an experienced trainer of many professional and amateur boxers. He has trained many fighters from all over the world for the past 40 years.
One of the famous boxers produced by Camiguin is Dexter Delada who has a record of 16-6 (11 KOs) and was trained under the Rex Wakee Salud Stable. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful in his bid for the WBC International title by fighting for the vacant lightweight title against South Africa?s superfeatherweight ruler Ali Funeka last May 27, 2006 in East London, South Africa, where he was knocked out in the second round.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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