WBO KIDS DRUG FREE PHILIPPINES (Photos)
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 28 Jan 2012
Mandaue City, Cebu - The World Boxing Organization (WBO) sponsored a basketball tournament involving teenagers from four barangays in the city of Mandaue. This is part of the organization?s program to encourage kids to stay in school, get into sports and say no to drugs.
The tournament was opened Saturday morning at the basketball court of the Greenhills Subdivision and Leisure Park. Aspiring cagers from Yocra,Agro, Greenhills and Kasuntingan were divided into Gold,Red,Black and Blue teams.
WBO Asia-Pacific Vice President Leon Panoncillo spoke about their Kids Drug Free Philippines program and emphasized the need for young Filipinos to continue their studies and avoid the temptations of illegal drugs.
The event was held with the cooperation of the Greenhills homeowners association lead by Basil Raya and Sammy Gello-ani?s SGG Promotions. Also in attendance were international referee Atty. Danrex Tapdasan and former WBO interim lt.flyweight titlist Johnriel Casimero.
The sportswriters in attendance were the judges in choosing the best team muse.
The winner of the tournament will each get one mountain bicycle.
CASIMERO UPBEAT GOING INTO IBF TITLE FIGHT
International referee Atty.Danrex Tapdasan with Johnriel Casimero
Johnriel Casimero of the Omega boxing gym of Mabolo, Cebu City is nearing his peak fighting form for his upcoming IBF world light flyweight title bout against former champion Luis Alberto ?El Mosquito? Lazarte of Argentina. Casimero told philboxing that he is around five to six pounds over the division limit but he is confident that he can make weight for the February 10 bout in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
?I have watched videos of Lazarte?s fights,? Casimero said, ?I have a plan to beat him.?
Promoter Sammy Gello-ani received word that the Casimero vs Lazarte fight will no longer be for an ?interim? title but for the actual world crown.
The IBF has ordered Lazarte and Casimero to vie for the title after the reigning champion, Ulises Solis of Mexico, suffered a broken jaw due to a well-publicized street altercation. Solis is still unable to defend his crown giving both Casimero and Lazarte this big break.
Lazarte (49W-10L-2D, 18 KO's) became world champion by beating Carlos Tamara of Colombia by split decision last May 2010. He lost his title to Solis by split decision last year. The question going into this fight is whether the 40 year old can still perform at the top level.
The 21 year old Casimero (15W-2L, 9 KO's) is a former WBO interim light flyweight champion. In his first defense, He lost his title to Ramon Garcia Hirales of Mexico by split decision. Casimero was stopped in South Africa last March 2011 by Moruti Mthalane in five rounds in an attempt to win the IBF flyweight title but returned to his winning ways last October after he stopped Roemart ?TI Yamagata? Sentillas at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-lapu City. Casimero was fighting as a flyweight in his last two bouts.
Gello-ani is waiting for their visa to go to Argentina. He plans to leave early, preferably on Feb. 2, so that his boxer can acclimatize to the time zone difference in South America.
"He has a good chance," Gello-ani said, "He has been in the gym since his last fight, weight will not be a problem."
Casimero and Gello-ani were in attendance, together with WBO Asia-Pacific chief Leon Panoncillo, for the opening of the WBO Kids Drug Free Philippines basketball tournament in Greenhills Subdivision,Mandaue City last Saturday Jan. 28.
Casimero will turn 22 this February 13 and winning a world title would an excellent gift not just for himself but for the entire nation.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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