Ibuyan to continue helping amateur boxers

Councilor Ibuyan (left) with their City Council leader, Vice Mayor Inday Sara.(Photo courtesy of Davao Sportswriters Association)

City Councilor Edgar Ibuyan will never abandon amateur boxing development as head of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines-Davao City Chapter.

Under his wing are the 15 amateur fighters who they also send to school.

"ABAP Davao City is stable," said Ibuyan's spokesman and Barangay 5-A Kagawad Ruben Dongzal on Thursday's Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum at the Tower Inn.

The statement on reports that there are already two amateur boxing organizations in Davao, the other headed by Councilor Amilbangsa Manding, President of the Liga ng mga Barangay Boxing Association.

Dongzal said that the other group's focus, though, is to build a stable of professional fighters and not amateurs which is consonance with ABAP and the international governing body, AIBA.

"We will continue to follow what is best for amateur boxing in Davao," said Dongzal, who bared that Councilor Ibuyan made sure that the Davao Chapter is registered to have legal personality.

ABAP-Davao President Ibuyan lauds ABS-CBN’s “Boxing Idol”

DAVAO CITY – City Councilor Edgar Ibuyan has lauded the holding of the ABS-CBN’s “Boxing Idol”, the search for the next boxing star in the country.
Ibuyan, president of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines-Davao City Chapter, said that the “Boxing Idol” is very timely that our young boxers from all over the country will be given a chance to prove their worth to become the next boxing world champs.
He said boxers training under the ABAP-Davao chapter are also showing talents and skills where some of them already earned medals in various regional and national boxing competitions.
The “Boxing Idol” is already in the semi-final round with eight boxers qualified out of the original 32 pre-screeened boxers.
The ABS-CBN had formally unveiled last Nov. 9 the trail-blazing reality-based boxing program aimed at discovering the next Pinoy boxing superstar.
Dubbed “Boxing Idol”, the search for the next Pinoy boxing star is a collaboration between ABS-CBN's Regional Network Group and ABS-CBN Sports in cooperation with the ALA Boxing Gym in Cebu City.
The program, which will be aired by the network over Visayas and Mindanao on Sundays at 10AM, is hailed as the most exciting professional grassroots boxing competition on television in Visayas and Mindanao.
The tournament featured 32 young boxers all vying for the titles in four weight classes, and the chance to be chosen as the “Idol” of the tournament.
Aside from the purses and prize money to be won by the winners in the four weight categories, the ultimate boxing “Idol” will also bring home P100,000 plus boxing equipment.
Four boxers will be declared winner in the four weight categories at stake, but only one will bring home the “Idol” title based on fan support and other criteria set by organizers. (PR)

PBF Junior Featherweight Champion Balweg Bangoyan

Balweg Bangoyan is the new Philippine Boxing Federation (PBF) Junior Featherweight Champion. He will be based in Davao City for the training under Vicente Joven Adriano.


Bangoyan with his supporters led by Jose Abad Santos Mayor Alexander "Zander Khan" Wangkay (3rd from left) during a press presentation, recently, at the Dencio's Kamayan Restaurant.

19-year-old boxing champion prepares for bigger fights, to train in Davao City

Nineteen-year-old Balweg Bangoyan of the Municipality of Jose Abad Santos is the new Philippine Boxing Federation Junior Featherweight champion and he is not stopping.
Training immediately starts for the fighter of Mayor Alexander "Zhander Khan" Wangkay in preparation for bigger fights.
Mayor Wangkay said that the World Boxing Organization official Leon Panuncillo has called him because of their interest on Bangoyan, a third generation professional fighter of the Bangoyan clan. Two-time Philippine champions Arman Bangoyan fought in the middle of 1970s followed by Little Bangoyan in the 1980s.
"We started receiving calls including from Wakee Salud of Cebu who plans to put Balweg in an undercard fight featuring Manny Pacquiao next year in Las Vegas," said the mayor.
But Mayor Wangkay wants Balweg to hone his skills before the big fights.
"Once he is ready, we will let him fight," said the mayor, who will base his fighter in Davao City under the watchful eyes of long-time trainer Vicente Joven Adriano.
The five-foot-five Bangoyan was born in Jose Abad Santos on January 18, 1987 and turned professional last year.
He now holds a clean 9-0 win-loss record, seven via knockout and two by unanimous decision.
The latest victory was the championship win over Elper Paganpan of the Yuli Alfante Stable in 10-round undercard last November 14 at the Mall of Asia where World Boxing Council (WBC) top officials were present to see the fight.
"We want to create a name for himself and that everybody will be proud of him," said the mayor.