MAYOR DAN NERI LIM?S PASSION FOR BOXING
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 02 Feb 2009
?A little city with big dreams? goes the stimulating slogan of Tagbilaran City and some dreams were realized by staging some fabulous boxing shows in the capital city of the country?s prime tourist destination.
City Mayor Dan Neri Lim had his latest boxing promotion last Saturday and it was very successful being attended by no less than 15,000 spectators at the Island City Mall car park. AJ ?Bazooka? Banal and Czar Amonsot effectively disposed their respective Indonesian rivals to the delight of the Boholano crowd.
Banal stopped Nouldy Manakane at 1:39 of the 4th round, while Amonsot also sent Zoel Fidal crawling to the canvas as the referee ceased the onslaught in the 5th round.
Since his assumption into office as the local chief executive of Bohol?s capital city, Mayor Lim put sports, especially boxing, as one of his favorite agenda.
Mayor Lim together with ALA Gym staged the WBO Asia Pacific super bantamweight title defense of Rey ?Boom Boom? Bautista against Tanzania?s Oboto Ameme and over 25,000 fans gathered at the Carlos P. Garcia Sports Complex on November 19, 2005.
The mayor was personally invited by Golden Boy Oscar de la Hoya to grace the World Cup of Boxing in Sacramento, California on August 11, 2007. "It gives me great pleasure to write this letter to you," said De la Hoya in his letter to Lim.
"As an influential figure for ALA Boxing, I would like to personally commend you in your extraordinary career. You have served our beautiful sport of boxing with dedication and passion. I would like to have you present ringside, as my personal guest. Golden Boy Promotions will handle all accommodations," De la Hoya stated.
The Filipinos were expecting Bautista to become another world champion, but their hopes turned to frustrations when Bautista did not even last one round against WBO super bantamweight titlist Daniel Ponce de Leon.
"I'm very sorry that we failed to get the crown we aspire for. We might be disappointed, but we don't have to be discouraged," said Mayor Lim. "I can guarantee one or two Boholano boxing champions in the next two years."
The mayor has a positive outlook for Bautista. ?Life must go on for Bautista and there is still no doubt in my mind he will be a world champion someday," said Lim.
Mayor Lim also hired the expertise of Cuban coach Dagoberto Rojas to train his amateur boxers and to accompany them to the recent Smart-ABAP National Amateur Boxing Championships in Bacolod City. ALA Gym is also training amateur boxers in Tagbilaran and their boxers number about eighty.
The mayor wants to commence the search for the next Boholano world champions starting from the amateur ranks. He conducted series of amateur boxing tournaments in the city including the Visayas inter-city developmental boxing championships and the Sandugo boxing competition.
Mayor Lim was born on February 11, 1952, and married to Dr. Sharleen Mathay Corral of Makati City. He enrolled at the Philippine Union College in Caloocan City for his Bachelor?s Degree in Political Science. He completed his Bachelor of Laws at Silliman University and passed the Bar the same year he graduated.
Top photo: Mayor Dan Neri Lim at his office in Tagbilaran City.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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