Kauko back in training to face Philippine champion

PAPUA New Guinea lightweight champion Raka Kauko Jr has resumed preparations for his end-of-year bout against Philippine lightweight champion Roldan Aldea in Port Moresby.
Kauko announced a dinner with exhibition bouts for Sept 17 to help raise funds for his camp leading up to the Oceania Fights Promotion-organised fight.
“Since I started boxing as an amateur all the way to representing the country, I’ve seen very little support from the Government to boxers,” he said.
“So now I’m making the call to our leaders to get behind us and support boxing.
“We’ve resumed preparations for the fight but we are now asking for business houses and interested sponsors to join us in our fundraising dinner.
“It’s challenging time to be a boxer during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“But my team have remained loyal and we’re hoping to raise as much as we can so we can continue with our training for lead-up fights.”
Kauko’s coach Jamie Pang said preparations were mostly scattered in response to the ongoing impact of the pandemic.
“He’s a strong fighter and he’s ready to go now,” he said of Kauko.
“But unfortunately, we have been forced to wait because of the lockdown and travel restrictions.
“It’s a title fight and we have a shot against the Philippine No.1 so we’re not taking anything lightly in our preparations.”
The fundraiser for Sept 17 will be at Dynasty Restaurant in Port Moresby with a table of 10 going for K5,000.