RI boxers vying for new titles

RI boxers vying for new titles

JAKARTA (JP): The new boxing body, Pan Asia Boxing Association (PABA), will mark its arrival here with three 12-round bouts to fill its vacant featherweight, lightweight and welterweight titles at the Senayan Volleyball Hall this evening.

The bouts, promoted by Tourino Tidar, pit three Indonesian boxers against opponents from New Zealand and Mongolia. The Indonesians top the PABA rankings in their respective divisions.

Featherweight Ilham Lahia, best boxer of the 1986 President's Cup competition, will take on New Zealand's Clinton Simmons, Max Karamoi will fight Mongolia's Lakwa Sim for the lightweight crown and Jufrison Pontoh will test his skills and luck against New Zealand's Monty Bahna in the welterweight class.

Ilham said he and his fellow Manado boxer Max have been training intensively for two months for the bouts. During the training stint, they sparred with the current Orient and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) champion Adrianus Taroreh.

"I will try to knock Simmons out as early as possible," Ilham said. Simmons replied that he would respond to Ilham's remark directly with his fists in the ring.

Analyst said that Mongolia's Sim may pose a real threat to Max. Sim, who turned pro six months ago, won gold medals in the King's Cup championships in Bangkok and at another amateur tournament in Seoul last year.

Promoter Tidar said each boxer is entitled to US$2,000. "A champion, who will be rated by the WBA, will receive $7,500, while his challenger $2,500 in the next fights," Tidar said.

PABA is a new affiliate of the well established World Boxing Association. It was set up last March in Beijing, China, by 12 countries, including China, Venezuela, Russia and Turkmenistan. Today PABA has 23 member countries from the Asia-Pacific region and Europe.

As of Aug. 12, 17 PABA division titles have been filled. There are five vacant titles remaining, three of which will be up for grabs tonight. (arf)