ARAGUA PROTAGONIST OF THE GILBERTO MENDOZA BOXING FESTIVAL – World Boxing Association

Aragua was the great protagonist in the seventh edition of the Gilberto Mendoza Boxing Festival, by winning the amateur tournament that gathered young boxers from four Venezuelan states, at the Yesterday Recreational Center in Turmero, Aragua state. 

In what turned out to be a great celebration of the legacy of the emeritus president of the World Boxing Association, the young fighters from Aragua stood out by winning most of the 20 bouts disputed against fighters representing Apure, Lara and Guárico.

Boys, girls and adolescents of different ages and categories, climbed into the ring full of dreams and illusions, to measure themselves against their peers and thus continue to make their way into this noble art. With strong wrestlers, Apure seconded Aragua in the Festival, but all the participants were recognized by the organizers for their commitment and passion. 

In an emotional ceremony and with the presence of great boxing personalities such as former champions Leo Gámez, Nohel Arambulet, Eva Guzmán and the current Fedelatin featherweight champion Lisandro Barazarte, the winners and the rest of the participants of the day were awarded, putting a golden brooch to the seventh consecutive edition of the Festival. The Festival was created by promoter Rafael Moron in the mythical Yesterday, place of great boxing evenings of the past, but also of great memories for the national boxing family.

Prior to the event, a religious ceremony was held to honor the memory of WBA President Emeritus Gilberto Mendoza, seven years after his physical disappearance. 

COLOMBIA AND PANAMA JOINED THE CELEBRATION

The Gilberto Mendoza Amateur Boxing Festival has made a mark in the annual calendar of events of the World Boxing Association, and from now on it will be internationalized by the hand of local promoters. This coming 25th, Barranquilla will host the Colombian edition of the Festival. On the same day, a big amateur boxing party is expected in Panama.  

These initiatives are part of the 80th anniversary of Gilberto Mendoza’s birth, a central figure in the centennial institutional life of the World Boxing Association. As one of the five Latin American presidents of the pioneer organization of boxing worldwide, Mendoza paid special attention to the athletes. In addition to the creation of social programs such as the KO to Drugs, which was available to the underprivileged youngsters to get them off the streets and integrate them into the sport; he also focused on making the rules focus on protecting the fighters, creating the rating system that is used today, promoting the reduction of rounds, and implementing the presence of supervisors for world championship fights, among other initiatives.

His legacy lives on, and he continues to be a lantern in the institutional life of the World Boxing Association.